Love on the Catwalk
by StZen
Summary: COMPLETE! /Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside...But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar
1. The Only One who Steals Your Eyes

_Rating_: M (there's a first time for everything :P)

_Genre_: Drama (my favourite fanfiction genre to write…angst is overrated :P)

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism (it's difficult to explain, but you'll see what I mean later on)

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): So here it is, the fic I was very indecisive about for quite a while, but finally got it all written and so I guess it's time to post it. Having reached the intermission of _Do Svidanya_, I'm sort of taking a break from writing. This is my vacation; I've basically written it for me and didn't even attempt to write it well. I just thought up plots and wrote to get them carried out.

Still, I hope you like it :D

Oh also, the title of the fic isn't mine, it's the name of a song by a band my half-cousin used to be in called _Her Words Kill_. Their music's pretty good but they're not together anymore. Anyway, the title is the name of a song, and each chapter title consists of lyrics from that song, which still manage to fit with each chapter in their own way.

_Character List: (also shows age)_

Tala (25)- the current fashion icon

Kai (32)- a widely-known agent and producer

Rei (28)- an actor, retired young

Mariah (27)- Rei's wife, an actress past her prime

Lin (6)- Rei and Mariah's daughter (minor appearances)

Bryan (23)- a rock star

Brooklyn (23)- Bryan's psychotic band-mate and boyfriend

Max (32)- a renowned lawyer

Ming-Ming (16)- a young, new pop singer trying to make her dream career happen

Hilary (24)- a gorgeous movie star

Tyson (24)- Hilary's dim-witted husband, and a sports star

(Tyson and Hilary don't have any actual roles within the plotlines of this story. They appear at the very beginning and end, and act as a sort of template for other celebrities).

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print. **

Enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 1_

_The Only One who Steals Your Eyes_

* * *

'And the winner for Most Outstanding Actress is…Hilary Kinomiya!'

She made her way over to the stage, and sound barriers shattered all over the world. A charming smile plastered on her face, she kissed the host once on each cheek, and stepped up to the podium, another priceless award glinting gold with the warm light which shone upon them both. Her beautiful brown eyes scanned her phenomenal audience and she smiled at the enthusiasm still being shown in their applause. How familiar it had all become over the years; the podium felt much like a seventh home to her now.

Still flashing pearly white teeth, her voice calmed the still ecstatic audience who truly wished to hear it.

'You are too kind,' was her humble opening, 'all of you. It is an honour to, again, receive such an award as this one. And I have every one of you to thank for this. So thankyou, thankyou very much'.

Another round of applause initiated and managed to drag itself on for another few minutes. But the epitome of magnificence had yet to bring an end to her acceptance speech.

'I should also like to say a few words about my husband, who couldn't be with us tonight due to his injury' she paused to issue a soft, sad smile before carrying on. 'However, if I know my husband, he's firmly implanted into the settee at this very moment, feet propped up comfortably, watching me accept this award on the television. And I'd just like to say, that without his help and support, nothing would be possible' she paused again. 'Tyson, I love you. Thankyou for the hope you've given me'.

Once again, the ovation was enough to shake the structure of the building. As Hilary Kinomiya stepped to the floor, women and men of all ages watch with awe. He was so lucky. _She_ was so lucky. The two of them possessed everything that could ever be asked for. And yet it was believed even if they had nothing, eachother would be enough for them. That was what they said. How disappointed the athlete must have been at being unable to share in his wife's joy; how grateful she must be to him regardless of his absence.

Even a few minutes after the enthusiasm had been contained, and the host had begun to introduce another award, the camera stayed fixated on her.

The universe, it seemed, was at bay.

xXx

_Skin of milk, without trace of a flaw. Eyes of topaz that never refused to shine. Seventeen and fabulous; he was beautiful then. The road to his future was wide open in those days. Long past learning from the mistakes of his youth, this time he felt he was ready for anything. A brand new day; what a revelation. Time to let go of everything he'd been before, time to be the way he'd always wanted._

_He had been born a star. Never had he met a boy who could match himself, and they all knew it as well as he did. Some would never accept it, but that was life. Nobody could deny it, regardless of how often they tried._

_Every shutter sound was paradise; every camera flash the eye of heaven opening up to him. The flawless photographs granted him the fame he always knew he deserved. A star waiting for his time to shine, was Tala Ivanov. And sooner or later, it was up to everybody else to figure that out for themselves. The red-headed youth lost the public in his eyes. Agencies crawled to him. His pale features of perfection lit the streets of New York in every season. It seemed he was the very thing they'd all been looking for. Publicity had sought him out. _

_In those days when he looked in the mirror, he couldn't help but allow for a smirk of pride to escape his painted lips. This belonged to him. The object of perfection it seemed the world was after; he had full claim over it. A body so slender it put many female models out of business, a visage so beautiful every fashion magazine wanted it to represent them. Legs able to walk impeccably in any style of platform. He was the full package. _

_Everything ran smooth in those days. No bad habits, no pessimism. Little to dampen his mood, nothing to alter his opinion on himself. The true definition of a diamond in the ruff. Seventeen and fabulous. He was beautiful then. _

The present day Tala Ivanov took another long drag of the death-inflicting stick held against his thin lips with pale, bony fingers. Letting his bottom lip sag slightly lower, he watched as the wisps of white smoke circled in front of his eyes. Without being consciously aware of it, his gaze had transfixed itself onto a peculiar stain of deep brown, which could have been mistaken for coffee had it not been spread over most of the wall.

His mind had wandered into the depths of his oh-so fabulous past while watching the awards show on the miniscule television perched on his dressing table. Eyes previously glued to the set like the stain on the wall, Tala had watched the beautiful Hilary Kinomiya accept her award and it had injected a sudden burst of nostalgia into his brain. It made him remember himself, the way he was as a younger man. A man of far more confidence, though he never let show his true lack of poise. It was the headlines that did it. Cruel, needles accusations and judgements. Tala thought they were nobody to judge him, and so firmly believed that even they knew their lack of worth, deep down.

He abruptly put an end to his reverie and averted his eyes to look back to the television set. The commercials were running. He promptly switched the whole thing off.

Taking another puff and picking an eyelash from the inner corner of his eye, Tala faintly wondered how he was to pass the time he had to spare. A couple of hours yet before his next photo shoot, and he couldn't bear to spend another minute in the horrendously dreary dressing room he was currently situated in.

It was so dirty and uncared for it illuminated itself entirely in a stale yellow hue. Tala swore he could almost taste the musk and turned towards the stained mirror in a vain attempt to be rid of the sensation. The reflective glass was sitting right in front of him, and yet all the while he'd been averting his eyes from the possibility of catching sight of his own reflection.

Amongst his still vivid red hair, the most striking feature was still his frozen blue eyes. It was very fortunate for him that he hadn't lost these features, as well as his high cheekbones and soft skin of snow, save for the dressing room lighting making him appear wan and sickly. Tala felt that in this light, his eyes almost looked hazel. And yet he knew that dimming the bulbs situated around the perimeter of the mirror before him would only plunge him into darkness. He deliberated the sallow atmosphere would be the better of the two.

Before finally averting his eyes, the beauty icon took one long look at himself through the outer coating of dust and finger prints. It was plain to see, at a glance, the reasons for his recognition and success. And at the same time, it was plain to see the reasons why he had begun to lag behind himself over the years since his prime. For his eyes still flashed with the same intense attitude behind them, the very same which always made them look at him. He still caught their attention. And yet, beneath the pools of melted topaz lay a hollow area of deep purple skin. The imperfection. The result of too many sleepless nights, too many pills to force him into sleep and keep him awake, and a record breaking number of cigarettes smoked every single day.

He inhaled more smoke from the thing he knew was doing him more harm than good, and took another good, hard look. Makeup could cover the imperfections caused by the smoke, but what could ever replace them? Over the years they'd become a lifeline to him. It didn't matter he'd once sworn never to touch them; he still knew what they could do to him. The difference was he simply didn't care anymore.

A long strand of hair fell before his eye, but Tala made no effort to remove it. Instead he continued to gaze beyond the red, his eyes travelling from his face to his bony shoulders and thin arms. Smoke didn't have an affect on the skin he showed beneath the fabric; having stayed away from the sun almost his entire life, this form of pale could rival the feathers of a dove. He smiled softly, cigarette sticking out from the corner of his pale lips; they could never get enough of this. Still each and every magazine would marvel at the skin they could show with their designs. He was quite literally a blank canvas. He'd put tanning out of business.

But though he was still wanted for his unusual splendour, the public's relationship with Tala Ivanov was very much of the love-hate sort. And sometimes the red-head had allowed society's vindictive comments on his apparent anorexia to affect his way of thinking. Sometimes it really made him think. Not act, just think. The industry claimed the public didn't understand true art. But Tala not only wanted to be fabulous, he wanted to be adored, and not just by the industry. It would usually make him quite depressed, meaning more sleepless nights and an increase on pills.

But on his better days, he would sometimes shrug it off. They didn't know better, anyway. Lies could be told to cover it up, and they would be none the wiser. He didn't have a problem; this was the way he had always been. And it wasn't an eating disorder; he just didn't care much for food.

Eventually he disconnected himself from this self-staring contest and had a good look around the room. His chair groaned a little as he sat further back, scanning the clutter for something to entertain him for a little while. Though it seemed the space had been used before as simply a closet for props needed or old clothes that once walked the red carpet and never again saw the light of day. Several dust-coated vases also littered the floor, abundant with the scrawny remains of several bouquets of flowers.

As one of the mirror lights flickered, Tala's eye fell on a familiar hard-backed book, sat gathering dust at the top of a small stack of other written works. He sighed and reached over to retrieve it. The chair groaned again. This written work was his own. Published only a short while after his catapult into fame. He flicked through it half-heartedly, and issued an audible sigh. This _would_ be the sort of place he'd find a copy. Left behind with everything else that was no longer being used. And from the layers of dust, it must have been quite some time since it was last picked up.

It wasn't written well by any means, nor did it tell a particularly inspiring story, as it simply resulted in a man with a cigarette in a musty dressing room. The tale of a child who had a dream, an orphan with next to nothing who managed to eventually transform into something spectacular. His carer an evil man who used to touch him in odd places and make him wear skimpy clothing, it wasn't as though it hadn't happened before. But Tala felt that despite all this, it still hadn't received a good enough feed-back. Enough to be published, not enough to sell, and apparently not enough to remain on the shelves for longer than a year.

Tala turned it back to the front page, ignoring the wave of dust now encircling the air and fusing with the smoke. '_On the Edge.'_ Tala groaned. He felt it wouldn't have been possible to choose a more cliché title if he had really tried. Still, at least the photograph on the cover looked good.

Tala smiled faintly, somewhat amused by the fact that he had come across this, having never laid eyes on the thing since it was taken off the shelves. For a very long time now he'd been going about his business like it never existed, but now he considered, as he placed it into the bag at his feet, he might pick it up and actually read it every once in a while.

His thoughts were interrupted with a sharp knock on the door. Taking a final breath, Tala waved his arm around as though trying to fan something away, and promptly dropped the remains of his cigarette in the glass tray, where it lay, still smoking, amongst the other stubs and piles of ash.

A very tall woman with platinum blonde hair stepped through the door, also fanning her bony and wrinkles fingers though it didn't look like a conscious action. She gave a wide smile 'Hello, Tala.'

'Hello, Estella.' Tala returned politely.

'Ready to look beautiful?' She walked towards him and began to prepare herself for the task at hand, unloading several boxes of face-fixer for Tala and his dark rings.

Gazing back at the blemished mirror, Tala sighed as the thin whips of white from the still-burning cigarette in the ash tray floated past and faded the striking eyes of his reflection.

'Always ready,' Tala murmured flatly. 'Make me beautiful.'

xXx

For many long and peaceful hours now, the mansion had been in silence. Not so much as a scuffle to echo through the large rooms. Since the housekeeper had made her departure at around a quarter to nine, nothing but silence.

But all that harmony was broken with the click of the door, and irritable voice cutting through the calm stillness as the arriving persons made themselves known.

'And those actresses!' the woman was exclaiming, clearly insinuating that her rant had been progressing for a while. Coincidentally, it had; the entire drive home. 'Those _new_ women,' she began again, with all the superiority in the world, 'who feel they can waltz in and steal awards from those who have rightfully deserved them. It's theft is what it is!'

Slinging their long coats on to wooden hangers and proceeding to the kitchen, the woman continued to complain as she removed her earrings and started on the many jewel-encrusted devices which held her flawless hair in place. She suddenly paused in mid-sentence and took in a long breath, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. Forming the perfect position for a small child about to throw a tantrum, she issued a shrill growl and stamped her foot. 'I can't _stand_ that Hilary!' she hissed through her teeth.

'Mariah,' the man who had followed her groaned a little. 'Take it easy, your film won the award for Best Picture.'

'It wasn't _my_ film, it was a film I happened to be in!' Mariah snapped. 'In no way whatsoever does it reflect on my skills as an actress!' and then she continued to insult Hilary Kinomiya under her breath as the man yawned and glanced up at the clock. Though through Mariah's outrage he thought for a moment he could hear something.

'Just who she thinks she is I have no idea, with her false sweetness and insufferable…'

Rei groaned again, but this time for an entirely different reason. He concluded that he could definitely hear the sound of tiny feet pattering on the great marble stairs in the hall.

'…and married to an absolute idiot who she very well deser-'

'Mommy, you're home!'

'Lin!' Mariah didn't even attempt to hide her surprise. 'Sweetheart, why aren't you in bed?'

The little girl did the very admirable thing children do where they pointedly ignore a question being asked, and bounded towards her parents instead, excitement written all over her face. 'Mommy, I drew you a pony!'

'That's lovely, darling,' Mariah picked up the hem of her gown as she crouched to look her daughter in the face, 'but it's time for you to go to sleep now, alright?'

The little girl pouted, but nodded her head in defeat and bounded off again. Mariah took the drawing and placed it on the counter-top. 'So well behaved now,' she observed. 'This is perhaps the best housekeeper we've ever had'.

Her husband smiled softly 'She's a clever girl'.

Mariah took a moment to look extremely proud 'A Wong though and through,' she stated. Rei chose to ignore this, but Mariah chose to interpret his silence as some kind of insult. Swiftly forgetting her moment of pride, the mood was suddenly dampened again, coincidentally at the sound of a door being closed in the distance. Mariah turned back to Rei and made a statement which seemed completely out of the blue, which Rei felt Mariah had just wanted to bring up given her foul mood. 'I wouldn't expect you to understand, though,' she spoke in a calmer voice than she'd been using before. 'All you could do the entire night was gape at that unearthly _boy_ from that insufferable band.'

Rei bit down on his tongue to prevent himself losing his temper, which was diminishing by the second. 'Mariah…' he issued in a clear warning tone.

'Oh _darling_, you can't keep things from me.'

'Keep your voice down, somebody will hear you if you wake up the entire neighbourhood.'

Mariah scoffed 'Oh believe me, Rei, nobody would like it less than me, if somebody were to hear.' Those were the last words she spoke, before scooping up her jewellery and swiftly departing to her bedroom.

Once he'd heard the definite sound of the door being closed, Rei collected his thoughts and slowly made his way back into the lounge, glass of red wine in hand. He didn't feel much like sleeping just yet. Placing the glass on the coffee table, he crossed the room to where the large framed photo hung. The three of them bore down on him, flashing smiles far too wide to be genuine. Allowing a small moan to escape his lips, Rei leant his head against the cold surface of the wall and closed his eyes.

'Please,' he whispered. 'Please let me go.'

xXx

**Third year in a row, Hilary Kinomiya takes the prize**

Ming-Ming beamed as she glanced down at the sight of her idol's flashing smile. Looking around to ensure she was alone, which she was, the girl loudly cleared her throat as she tore the article from the front of the paper. Carefully folding the thin page as though it were a sheet of gold, she slipped it into her purse and told herself she'd read it later.

Having promised herself she'd arrive at this meeting with ambition and confidence, as the time passed she began to get anxious. Picking at her newly manicured fingernails in an attempt to quell the old-age habit of biting them, her mind wandered to all the possibilities she could be faced with should her dream actually be coming true. Ever since dropping out of school she'd set her mind on achieving this dream, and now it looked as though it were finally being made a reality. This was the first time her songs had seemed to interest anybody; the first time she'd been called in to meet an agency. And not just any agency, one of the largest in the world.

Tapping her foot on the polished floor, her eyes wandered around the room she'd been instructed to sit in while waiting. Surrounding her were photographs of the stars made by this man she was about to meet. Kai Hiwatari; the man who could shoot her to fame faster than lightning. The man who sought out any form of talent, and turned his object into a true icon. He had been the first to discover the flair in teenaged Rei Kon, when he was only a teenager himself; his company had sponsored Tyson Kinomiya in his first ever championship; and now Ming-Ming felt that it was her turn. She knew she had all the talent she needed; everybody had always told her she should sing. It didn't matter that her good-for-nothing parents had thrown her out of the house after she quit school; they simply couldn't foresee it. Their only daughter was going to be rich and famous. She'd never tried to hard for anything in her life; she _deserved_ to be made a star.

Suddenly her heart was in her mouth, and her glittered eyes widened a little as she heard footsteps making their way briskly down the corridor. A man rounded the corner and Ming-Ming automatically leapt to her feet, slightly startled at her own reaction. The man either pretended not to notice or simply didn't care, and bid the girl to follow him.

He led her down a couple more corridors which all looked the same to the overwhelmed girl, and finally they stopped at a teak door with a steal handle. Ming-Ming bit her lip as the man behind her reached over her head with an impatient sigh and all but pushed her into the room.

The first thing she noticed was the strong smell of scented soap. It flooded her nose and made her want to sneeze, but she contained herself and tried to gather her wits. The man had not followed her, and so she found herself quite alone on one side of the large office, about half a dozen men having a discussion on the other. One of them she instantly recognised to be Kai Hiwatari; and he seemed the only one who had actually took notice of her entrance. Ignoring the words still being spoken to him, he raised an eyebrow slightly and looked down at the girl. Ming-Ming didn't know what to make of the stare he was giving her, but it was slightly uncomfortable, and yet rather exciting at the same time. For a thirty-something year-old, Kai Hiwatari was _hot_.

Still scrutinizing the girl with his deep crimson eyes, he opened his mouth and instantly all the talk from the other men was silenced. 'That will do for now. I have an appointment so we'll continue this meeting later.' And without even issuing another word, each of them turned and departed from the office, without even throwing Ming-Ming a second glance.

Once they were gone, Kai continued to stare. For a while he simply said nothing, leaving the girl standing before him rather fidgety and uncomfortable. Finally, he motioned to a leather swivel chair and calmly stated 'Sit down.'

Very conscious of the deafening noise her heels made to break the silence, and the eyes that still continued to watch her, Ming-Ming did as she was commanded and sat down in the chair. Before taking into consideration the insecure feelings brought about by all the large furniture, the man behind the desk actually said something. 'So, Ming-Ming…'

Her pulse increased slightly and she tried to control the incisive twitching of the corner of her lips. Instead she batted her eyelashes a little and waited for him to continue.

Finally, he spoke the words she'd been waiting to hear for what seemed like a lifetime. Flicking through a small stack of documents, he had finally taken his eyes off her and now she almost wished he would look back again. 'I think you might be exactly what the industry is looking for.'

The girl couldn't believe what she was finally hearing. 'Really?' she gushed.

'You certainly have the potential to be something promising,' Kai continued. 'Today, with singers like you is where the money is found. I think we could cut a very fine deal, here.'

He looked up from his papers at the small girl again, who was smiling with sheer delight. He couldn't help but smirk; her eyes positively sparkling with the prospect of this incredible opportunity, she was almost angelic in her hope.

'Honestly, Mister Hiwatari? You can get me a record deal?'

'The name is Kai,' he responded smoothly. 'And I can make you a star.'

xXx

Growing increasingly weary by the minute, Max took another longing yet reluctant look back at the clock on the wall of his office. It had been three hours since his work had ended, and still he found himself stuck in his chair, having not left since his lunch break. His blonde hair hung in front of his eyes and the typed words on the documents were beginning to blur as his eyes struggled to keep themselves open. It had been a long day.

His final case of the evening had been handed to him while he was preparing to leave the office and head home, by an employee who felt this was more Max's level of expertise. But what it really meant, Max knew very well, was that the man had neither the confidence that he could assist the defendant, nor the effort to carry out the tiring procedure.

'Bryan Kuznetsov,' Max read to himself while flicking through the files. 'Sued for public indecent exposure with band-mate, Brooklyn Kingston...' his voice trailed off as he continued to examine the law suit. While reading, he tapped the pen against the desk to the time of the second hand on the large clock, and bit his lower lip in concentration. Every so often he'd shake his head a little or issue a soft sigh.

Max knew this man; he was a member of the band Blitzkrieg, who were fast gaining popularity with the rebellious adolescents of today's society. This was a group of four young men who had built their way up to fame by making an extremely bold name for themselves, in more ways than just the music. This would obviously have included audacious and taboo acts like the one listed on the documents in Max's hand. And of course, Bryan Kuznetsov was the only member with even the diminutive amount of money, so naturally it was he who was being sued, rather than his eccentric lover.

Max scoffed as he finished flicking through the package a final time. Quite impressed by how much he knew, he had to admit for an older man, he quite liked the music Bryan's band produced. By the standards of civilization, it was strictly off-limits, but the lawyer felt it was something fresh, and far more dexterous than the painted maniacs who would simply scream into microphones and call it music.

But despite this, Max sat back in his chair and thoughtfully shook his head. This would never do. No matter how good-a lawyer he was, even the infamous Max Mizuhara wouldn't be able to assist much in the case. Society spoke for itself; it would never be okay to exploit homosexuality to such a length in public. Bryan was about to lose a lot of money.

As he prepared himself to leave, another employee entered his office. 'Sir, your verdict on the case?'

Max sighed, but didn't look up from his files. 'I've reached a verdict, and decided against it. That will be all, thankyou.'

The man said no more, and simply retrieved the papers listing the case of Bryan Kuznetsov from the desk and made his exit. Only a couple of seconds later, his employer was to follow. Finally being relieved from his tiresome day, Max gathered up his belongings, swung his coat over his shoulders, and departed from the office for another night, flicking the lights off behind him.

* * *

(A/N): Okay so, this was sort of the intro chapter, which is why nothing really happened. It sort of set the scene. There's only seven chapters altogether so the plots will start flying fast in the next one.

By the way, just to let you know this might be a bit of a Mariah-bashing fic, but I have nothing against Mariah as a character. I actually really like Mariah. So flames for bashing her will not be accepted. Also I've got nothing against heavy metal music...I mean hey, each to their own. Max just happens to think it's stupid, it has no reflect on my opinion. So similarly, no abuse accepted. Thankyou :)

While writing this fic I sort of figured out an entire story based around each character. Even if nothing was mentioned in this story, they each had their own past planned out and everything…it made me kind of sad, because I think they deserved so much better than to be stuck in this drama I created :(

…But oh well! That's what this story's all about; enhancing sympathy :) Please review!


	2. Im the Latest Outfit

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism (evident in it's entirety in this chapter)

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): Originally I intended to create a story where each and every character was despised by the readers. Not in an 'I can't read this fic, I hate the characters' way, more of a 'love to hate' way. But then I thought to myself 'this is the most unrealistic idea you've ever come up with' and in fact, I'd bet money that by the end of this not a single person could hate Tala. So then I decided against my idea; far too difficult. Instead I've done that stupid thing I keep doing in fics where I contradict myself and end up portraying both sides of an argument. You'll see what I mean when you read this chapter. I'm not sure if this makes me a better writer or a really bad one, but it annoys the hell out of me :P. So by the time we end this fic, let's just see who the readers hate…

There's a bit of jumping back and fourth in this. Meaning, basically the second to last scene ends early in the morning, and then we go to the last scene which takes place back in the evening of the previous day. This is just because I didn't want to keep switching from scene to scene like a soap opera.

This is the major 'Kai's a prick' chapter…I don't think anybody saw this coming…

_Character List: (also shows age)_

Tala (25)- the current fashion icon

Kai (32)- a widely-known agent and producer

Rei (28)- an actor, retired young

Mariah (27)- Rei's wife, an actress past her prime

Lin (6)- Rei and Mariah's daughter

Bryan (23)- a rock star

Brooklyn (23)- Bryan's psychotic band-mate and boyfriend

Max (32)- a renowned lawyer

Ming-Ming (16)- a young, new pop singer trying to make her dream career happen

Hilary (24)- a gorgeous movie star

Tyson (24)- Hilary's dim-witted husband, and a sports star

(Tyson and Hilary don't have any actual roles within the plotlines of this story. They appear at the very beginning and end, and act as a sort of template for celebrities).

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print **

Enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 2_

_I'm the Latest Outfit_

* * *

**Rocker Kuznetsov sued for more than he can afford**

Ming-Ming's auburn eyes widened as she curiously devoured the article clutched in her hands. She'd originally been scanning for mention of her name, but the front page bold text had caught her attention.

'Ew!' her face adopted a look of pure disgust as she read the graphic detail on just how Kuznetsov had given the public cause to complain. Suddenly the article didn't look so appealing anymore. Scrunching up her face dramatically, she folded the paper in half and chucked it across the room, as though worried she'd catch some nasty disease by simply reading it.

'_Absolutely disgusting! Who do those repulsive lunatics think they are?' _Ming-Ming shivered a little at the mental images that were now forming in her mind, and deciding it was the perfect thing to put her off the breakfast she'd grab after the meeting, slouched back a little in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. As if anybody had actually needed to read that; what was the writer, some horny fan-girl? (A/N: XD). And the fact that it had made the front page was even worse; there must really have been not much occurring in the world.

Ming-Ming didn't associate with artists of Blitzkrieg's kind…ever. She believed herself to be a true music artist; one who could actually sing and was a fair writer aswell. Blitzkrieg earned their fame through their homosexual lead and by breaking the law at every occasion possible. She didn't look down on them for having no money; she barely had anything herself. But she felt it very idiotic to get yourself sued when you're lucky to even have the money you do. Kuznetsov had been borderline lower middle class before losing everything and more due to his incessant urges. Now he'd be in debt and probably unable to pay it back for years, the way they were going.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the man she had been waiting for finally stepped into the office. He didn't apologize for being late, nor did he acknowledge her greeting. He simply tossed another newspaper on the desk and stood behind it.

Ming-Ming blinked at him.

Finally, he smirked down at her and flicked over the pages carelessly. 'Your album has made number one. Sales have soared through the roof.'

The turquoise-haired girl's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. For a few minutes she just gaped like a fish, unable to take in what she'd just been told. It hadn't been long at all; a little over a week perhaps. And already, she'd made her mark. An album at number one; her entire dream had come true in the blink of an eye.

While she sat frozen in gaping-mode, Kai began to pace the room. 'You're surprised; there's no need to be. You knew who I was; I told you I'd make you into something.' He continued to smirk all the while. 'The company's holding a party at the opening of the new luxury Venus hotel in town. We're combining the celebrations.'

That snapped Ming-Ming out of her reverie, 'A party? Oh, I love parties! When?'

'Tonight. Get shopping.' And those were Kai's last words before he departed from the office, leaving the newly born star to contemplate everything she'd just been informed of; a wide grin spread across her face and utter delight in her sparkling eyes.

xXx

'And where are _you_ going?' Mariah asked, suspicion dripping from each word.

Rei paused in mid-reach for the door handle and turned slightly to look over his shoulder. 'Can't a man go for a drink every once in a while?'

'Hah!' Mariah scoffed in a bitter manner, 'Speaking of the every-day man, it's very excusable. But I believe you're a bit of a special case, wouldn't you agree?'

'Mariah…' Rei sighed, lowering his hand and turning fully around to face her. 'I'm really getting tired of this.'

'Well you know what, Rei; you should have considered this before you sought fame. You should have thought of this before you married me. Hell, you should have thought of this before you became…became the way you are!'

'I didn't _choose_ to be like this!' Rei hissed. Both voices suddenly became hushed as they tried to be discreet.

'Well you shouldn't try to feed it, because it will only grow!' Mariah referred to Rei's homosexuality as though it were a living thing. Some sort of monster, or disease. 'And you just hurt yourself gawking at that Kuznetsov all the time when you both have somebody else!'

'Would you mind not referring to him as though he's some dead animal I've dragged in?' Rei bit back at her, narrowing his eyes and speaking firmly through his teeth. He shook his head and murmured, more to himself than his wife, 'I knew confiding to you about it would come back to haunt me.'

'You didn't tell me, I figured it out myself!'

Rei pretended he hadn't heard her lie, though it was obvious he had because his voice levels suddenly increased. 'You honestly have no idea, Mariah! Don't you realise the courage it took for me to tell you? Don't you consider how _afraid_ I was to tell the woman I'd been married to for three years?'

'I wish you never _had_ told me!' Mariah snapped back. 'Since then all I've been able to do is worry about somebody finding out, live in fear that I'll be known for having my husband leave me for another man! Tell me, husband, didn't _you_ ever consider how _I_ felt?!'

They were shouting now. Both of them. Apparently their wills weren't strong enough to have them keep hold of their tempers, and remain in tones of bitter whispers.

Little Lin crouched down and held on to the white banisters, her long hair falling around her and traipsing across the landing floor. From where she sat, she could see them clearly. Her daddy had his coat on and the car keys in his hand, but he was standing away from the door and yelling at her mommy about things Lin wouldn't understand until she was older. Or at least, that's what they always said.

Releasing a sad sigh, she quietly stood up again and walked with bare feet to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she turned off the lights and sat on her bed. She grabbed hold of her stuffed white tiger and squashed it between her knees which were hugged to her chest. Drigger could comfort her when her parents fought; he was the only one who could. The tiger made her feel safe, and cheered her up when she was sad. Sometimes she figured it was a mistake of her daddy to give Drigger to her; for if he kept it to keep him happy, she would have no reason to be sad.

She clutched the tiger tighter as she heard her daddy yell again.

'Why would you continue to make my life a living hell for all these years?!' He demanded and saw Mariah visibly bristle at his description of their luxury. 'Are you so heartless that you can't just let me go?!'

'You condemned yourself to this when you made the decision to become one of them!'

'I told you already; I didn't _choose_ to be like this!'

'Well you know what, Rei; it doesn't matter' Mariah adopted a suck-it-up look and Rei sighed, knowing what was coming next. 'It doesn't matter because nothing will change. You can ignore your tendencies or you can continue to be miserable; you won't be walking out that door. Not on me.'

'I'd leave Lin with you,' he whispered desperately, dropping his voice for the first time since the fight had initiated. 'I'd leave you everything! What more could you want?'

Mariah shook her head slowly and smiled in a way which was far from good-natured, as though seeing some ironic humour in the situation. 'You just don't get it, do you.' It was a rhetorical question. 'Separated we are a job-less man who lost fame years ago and a single mother whose career is diminishing and was left by her husband,' she edged closer and closer to Rei as she continued to speak. 'But together we're worth a _fortune_, and you know it!'

Rei opened his mouth to retaliate, but realised he could say nothing. For a few moments they stood there, neither daring to break the fierce eye contact between them that could exterminate anyone who blocked it. Rei knew as well as Mariah, deep down, that love was only third on their priorities. Lin came a close second and, disgusting though it were to them both, fame was the focal concern. Rei knew Mariah would never allow him to go, and he understood the reason why. Hell, he too had lived by it for many years now. But Rei was no longer afraid of losing his recognition; he'd realised that when he retired from the spot light. He had enough money; the tabloids aggravated him; all he wanted was permission to walk out that huge red door and never come back in.

Rei lowered his eyes in defeat and mumbled with a hint of plea in his voice 'Mariah, do you even love me at all anymore?'

There was an agonising silence which Rei felt would undeniably be broken by more yelling or even violent gestures, and he daren't look up. But much to his surprise when his wife's voice finally spoke out she had already turned her back on him and taken a few steps away.

'I can't love people who don't love me, Rei,' her voice was remarkably soft and almost inaudible after the deafening voices echoing the halls before. Rei lifted his head to see her retreating form, making its way towards the kitchen in a way that was almost painfully slow. She lingered for a little while, obviously holding her breath, and blurted out something which flowed far too quickly and ended in a much higher pitch than she would have liked, before releasing her breath and running to the kitchen, slamming the door behind her. To Rei it sounded very much like 'we were happy'.

Rei was left in the middle of the hall, feeling slightly foolish but far from anything else. What he had intended to be a guilt-trip had backfired entirely, and yet still he didn't so much as take a step further into the house. Instead, without a visible trace of repentance, he once again turned back towards the front door. He knew what was waiting for him, he knew what he'd be waiting for if he stayed; the solution was obvious.

xXx

Somewhere amidst the centre of the illustrious universe of icons and diversion was an abandoned parking lot surrounded by the stone grey buildings. The blissful silence save for the rustling of dry grass beyond the wired fence was interrupted when the steel door to one of the buildings was pushed open with perhaps more force than was necessary. Boots of leather so black they didn't look real stepped out into the cool evening air and the man wearing them didn't bother to close the steel door again behind him.

Dressed in a knee-length midnight blue coat of expensive leather, an extravagant collar reaching higher than the top of his head, Tala was taking a much-required break between his photo shoot and next runway show. He was desperate for a cigarette.

Reaching into the pocket of the coat he was forbidden from using for anything practical, he pulled out a packet and lighter. Suddenly aware of just how cold it was, he shivered a little and decided to take a stroll. The studio blocks were certainly nothing to look at, but he had decided that anything would be better than staying near that miserable place. The designer would murder him if they knew he had wandered outside in their precious shoes; the thought of it made Tala smirk. Since when had he obeyed their demands? They told him not to smoke, they sat with him to ensure he ate, they forbid him from stealing the clothes he modelled or overdosing on the sleeping pills he needed to sleep every night. No, Tala Ivanov obeyed nobody but himself, and had always deemed himself too superior to listen to reason.

He sniffed loudly, watching as the white steam rose from his mouth with every breath, partly from the cold and partly from the cigarette. His nose itched with the amount of power that was probably blowing away in the breeze. But still he continued to walk, boots making a clopping sound with every step he took across the deserted parking lot. He had seen nobody so far and he counted it as a blessing.

Finishing with his burning remedy, Tala flung the remains lazily to the ground and stopped walking to reach for another. But his boney hands, white as snow in contrast with the deep blue coat, came out with only an empty packet. Tala began to tear at it, as though hoping and seriously believing that he should find another one hidden away somewhere.

'Fuck!' he cursed, tossing the torn-up packet against the stone wall to his left. This slight alteration would make his respite considerably shorter. Shivering once more as a slight waft of air made contact with his skin, he was considering turning back and facing the bastards who would no doubt scold him for not being a super-human and taking a minute or two to breathe. But as he turned, a disguarded bit of paper flapped up beside him, pages lashing as the light wind passed by.

Tala stepped over and peered down at it curiously. Not daring to pick the disgusting thing up, he squinted to read the bold headline through the stains of dust and dirty water.

**Ming-Ming hits number 1 with debut album**

Tala wrinkled his powered nose up and sighed in exasperation. Another little girl would be transformed into an icon at the blink of an eye? The red-head had no idea what the world was coming to, but felt compelled to believe that silly, juvenile songs by teenagers were fast becoming overrated. Boy was that a euphemism.

But as his ice-blue eyes travelled a little further down the page, a small photograph in black and white caught his attention, below which was a rather amusing critique. Even had he not read the words **Another show-horse for Kai Hiwatari**, he would have known exactly who the man was. Everybody knew who he was.

Tala raised an eyebrow and smirked lightly as his eyes scanned the small photograph. He could hold back on his pride enough to admit that this man was positively gorgeous. Bitter though he was, there was no denying it; this man had aged _well_. A regular dominating scowl glared out at the red-head from the page, _'and damn, does he make it work…'_ Tala stared intently right back at him. He smirked a little at the sudden image formed in his mind, of that scowl distorting itself into a glare of sheer guilty pleasure. Tala deemed him a seme through and through, and yet made a bet with himself that given the chance, he could have the resilient man pining. Damn, it was a good fantasy.

'Tala Ivanov!'

Tala's head shot up. Without being fully aware of it, he'd positioned himself in a crouching position before the torn up paper still lying in front of him. He bristled; that ecstatic tone was all too familiar to him. And had he been even considering an incorrect assumption, the sudden flashes and clicking noises made him certain.

The paparazzi.

Without saying a word, or even turning around to show them his face, Tala rose from his position and began to run. The shoes made a dangerously loud noise against the solid tar below his feet, and he feared the damage being done to them might land him in a load of trouble. But he had more pressing issues at hand.

Losing them easily, despite his slower pace due to elaborate clothing, Tala inwardly thanked himself for being too fucking lazy to even bother closing the door, and charged up the concrete steps. Shielding his flawless face with the frail fingers of his left hand, he turned back towards them for the first time, simply to slam the cold steel door behind him.

xXx

'Fucking Mizuhara!'

Stepping into the dimly-lit bar, Rei shifted his eyes around nervously, as though worried he'd be recognised amongst the swarming crowds of inebriated men. The entire place was rancid with the tarnishing stench of smoke and whisky. His field of vision was completely dominated by flailing figures and staggering forms; he had almost given up hope of even catching sight of him…

Crash!

…until he heard him. Following his barely active sense of hearing, Rei pushed his way through several unsuspecting drunks towards the core of the establishment. Seated at the bar, a large and half-empty beer glass placed firmly in front of him, was the very epitome of raw masculine vitality. On approach, Rei could only see him from behind, his hair almost shimmering in the dim light hanging slightly above it, casting a shadow over everybody else within a five-metre radius. This included the man seated beside him, who Rei noted to be his ardent lover, Brooklyn. The man was sat sideways so Rei had a good view of his face; turquoise eyes that still proceeded to shine through the shadow, and a mop of blazing red hair. The lighting position caused the indented features on his face to cast a shadow, giving him an ominous air with a dash of eccentricity.

Even from where Rei stood, Bryan Kuznetsov oozed sex appeal. Gulping down his beer as though it would be his last, slamming it back down against the old wood of the bar-top and continuing to growl audibly to the red-head beside him; Rei had never seen a more alluring sight.

He never could quite understand what the generation fell for in feminine men. He was well aware of certain zany journalists writing Bryan as being beautiful in his own sturdy way. Rei scoffed at this. He saw nothing beautiful about the man; on the contrary, what appealed to him about Bryan was the antithesis of what it seemed the average person sought for. He'd had his beauty, eleven years of it. What he wanted now was a young, robust, sexy _man_.

Rei discreetly made his way over and wordlessly perched himself on the stool beside Bryan. He went completely unnoticed by both Bryan and Brooklyn, as well as the rather beefy man to Brooklyn's right who appeared to be looking a little left-out. The barman approached him and he casually ordered a Guinness, sliding his eyes over to the man sitting beside him, still focussing all his attention on the pint clasped in his strong hand. Having a specific hand fetish, Rei's train of thought continued to remain on the same track for quite a few minutes.

'That fucking prick' Bryan mumbled again, shoving his glass forward as to request more drink. Rei snapped out of his reverie as Bryan glanced in his direction, eyes scanning for the barman who seemed to have momentarily disappeared. Rei assumed he'd misheard the name Bryan cursed as he'd walked in, and decided to make his move.

He cleared his throat nervously 'Um, Mr Kuznetsov?'

'Oh, ther-' but Bryan stopped in mid-sentence when he realised who had addressed him. He shook his head a little, all the while looking as though he were trying to remember who this person was. 'Oh…er, yes?'

Rei had to use every ounce of will power he possessed not to allow his jaw to drop as Bryan's intense eyes made contact with his. Though at that moment they were only half-open and slightly glazed over, the strength behind them had Rei's gaze fixated like glue. The fascinating colours of his irises behind that stare, and just below the left eyebrow which was beginning to raise and make Rei slowly melt on the inside…and that was when he realised he'd been silent for a little too long.

'Er,' he blinked, stupidly. 'I hear you're going through a small financial crisis at the moment, and wanted to offer you some monetary aid. I thought perhaps we could make a reasonable deal.'

Brooklyn's interest had now been captured, as he broke off his conversation with the other guy and leant forward to catch a glimpse of who his lover was conversing with. As Rei's golden eyes met the deep pools of turquoise, something he couldn't yet put his finger on made him very uneasy. But his attention was once again taken when Bryan finally decided to answer, a mildly curious look on his face.

'Aren't you Mariah Kon's husband?' he spoke thoughtfully, as though not quite sure his assumption was correct.

Rei sighed bitterly and nodded, before sticking his hand out for the man to shake, 'Rei Kon.'

Bryan finally let go of the glass, leaving a large hand-print of condensation behind, and reached over himself to shake Rei's hand. 'Pleasure,' he said in a gruff albeit polite tone. 'So you want to go out of your way to help me with my financial problems?' Rei nodded confidently and Bryan placed his hand back in the exact spot it had been before. 'And why don't I believe that there wouldn't be a catch to this?'

His suspicion was sharp, for somebody so intoxicated, Rei noted. Perhaps this desperate shot in the dark wouldn't be so easy as he had expected. But before he could come up with a convincing response, Brooklyn cut in, speaking for the first time since Rei had walked in.

'Bry, we're in some deep shit here. We need to take what we can from this man, seemingly so generous to provide us with the essential.' He spoke in a smooth voice which somehow managed to be cold and warm simultaneously. Rei concluded from the way he spoke alone, that he could never like this man. He had too much confidence in his words, and gave off an air that he could never possibly be wrong. But nonetheless, he was thankful when Bryan finally turned back towards him, that thoughtful expression back on his sexy visage.

'Alright, so what is it you want in return for this debt payment?' Bryan slurred, the alcohol finally reaching his head. 'And how long will you give me to repay you?'

'As long as you need,' Rei responded quickly. As far as he was concerned, the longer Bryan Kuznetsov owed him something, the better. 'And I charge no interest. I also can get you into the venues you're looking for. All I ask is for certain basic privileges, and for us to make regular meetings upon deciding where your band is to play and negotiating the payments. I hope to meet often until you're able to pay me back.'

Rei finished and looked at him hopefully. Bryan appeared to be trying to take in everything he'd just been told. He looked about ready to nod his head in agreement when Brooklyn cut in with his smooth assertive voice, 'We're not looking for another manager, mister Kon. I strongly feel-'

'Supposing I offered you the chance to perform at the Stroblitz Stadium?' Rei quickly cut in, hoping he wasn't sounding panicked. This was the very best thing he could offer Bryan, and should Brooklyn turn down that offer, his plans were kaput. He knew that the silver-haired sex god would listen to everything his carrot-topped lover said, and perhaps wisely, which is what Rei feared the most.

But Rei had to fight hard to contain his grin when he saw both of their eyes widen, if only very slightly. Brooklyn lowered his voice and leant forward, flicking his turquoise eyes from side to side, as though worried people would dash over in their hundreds, begging Rei for this deal it seemed they were about to take up the offer on. 'You can get us a gig in Stroblitz?' he asked, sounding rather disbelieving but almost impressed at the same time.

Rei gave a confidant smirk, and could have sworn he saw a definite twitch in Bryan's lip out the corner of his eye. 'Most certainly; it helps to know people in high places. And besides, you guys are great; I play them your music and they'll most definitely arrange something.'

Bryan's face seemed to light up. 'Brilliant!' he gripped his giant glass again and took a long swig. 'You mate, are my saviour.' He clapped Rei a couple of times on the shoulder, effectively glazing the amber eyes without much alcohol even settling behind them. But before Rei could even contemplate anything, Bryan had turned back the other way. 'We're getting our gig, Brook! Hey, Ian!'

The man sitting on the other side of Brooklyn suddenly perked up, leaning back to get a better look at what was going on. 'Ian, we're playing at the Stroblitz!'

The short man looked utterly perplexed. 'No way! Bryan, do you realise how _famous_ you'd become?' Rei believed he may have actually been trying to be discreet, but as his arm knocked over another can it seemed there was no hope.

Bryan gave a smirk which made Rei want to ambush him, and licked his lips. 'Mhmm, we'll see if we can't rock our own way into fame.' He snaked a hand around the back of Brooklyn's neck, gently pulling the red-head towards him and nuzzling his neck affectionately with his nose. Rei bitterly turned back towards the bar, picking up his disguarded drink and taking a large gulp. Brooklyn smiled slightly in spite of himself, but kept his own steady voice when responding.

'Bry, if we end up in jail before the gig this will all have been for nothing.'

'Ah even if you do, you'll still have eachother,' Ian slurred with great confidence. 'I'm a security guard y'see. I have no authority to release you, but I can choose who shares cells within the prison. It's useful sometimes to know those in the right places, y'know,' and to Rei's great surprise, the man winked at him.

He took another mouthful.

Seemingly ready to depart from the rapidly diminishing scene of effervescence, Bryan gulped the remainder of his beer in one go, and turned back to Rei. The famous smirk once again appeared on his face, and Rei had to make a conscious effort to keep his mind from wandering into the licentious depths of the unknown but often dreamt of. He held his hand out once again for his new financial assistant to shake, 'Let's meet again as soon as possible. Perhaps we can do lunch or something?'

Rei was very much aware that Bryan was making fun of him, but took it lightly and chuckled along, shaking the man's hand and nodding in agreement. 'If we get started tomorrow you could probably have your gig in around two months.'

Rei knew that the satisfaction from the impressed look plastered across Bryan's face would be enough get him through the next few weeks. He saw the artist's eyes glaze over once again with all the possibilities, and knew then that the deal was solid. Kuznetsov was as good as his until the debt was paid off.

'Let's go,' Brooklyn said softly over his shoulder, not looking at Rei once. 'If we leave now we might have some time to ourselves before Garland gets back.'

Bryan gave a mischievous glance over his shoulder at Brooklyn, and before the red-head had a chance to lead the way back through the diminutive crowd, Bryan had roughly grabbed Brooklyn by the back of the head and pulled him in for a heated kiss. Rei didn't want to watch this display in the slightest, but even he found he couldn't look away. There was something so alluring about the two of them, despite Rei's strong feelings of dislike for one, and what could only be described as passionate yearning for the other.

When they finally parted, Bryan gave Rei one last grateful smile, and shouted a good-bye to Ian over his shoulder. As the two of them walked out, Brooklyn threw Rei one last glare of masked suspicion which he pretended not to notice. Sighing deeply, Rei turned back to face the barman and ordered another round. He remained there for a long time, making the odd conversation with Ian and ordering another load of drinks by the hour. By the time he staggered back out into open air again, it was well into the next morning.

xXx

Ming-Ming heaved a colossal sigh as she caught sight of another guest approaching to engage her in tiresome and needless greeting. It had already been several hours, and not once had she been given the chance to do anything she wanted at this party…whatever it was. But every other low-scale celebrity surrounding her had managed to drink themselves into a state of exhilaration. But the turquoise-haired singer hadn't even had the opportunity to so much as touch the stuff, following her second cocktail several hours before.

She cast her chestnut eyes around her, pointedly ignoring the blonde Italian trying desperately to make her acquaintance, whose name she had forgotten. Despite the fact that she was certain the gathering was being held partly in celebration of her, she recalled that Kai had forbidden her from inviting any of her friends, and the ballroom of the Venus Hotel mainly consisted of celebrities she hadn't even heard of, most of whom also couldn't put a name to her.

She scowled, folding her arms like a child and skulking away. Glancing around suspiciously and catching no sight of anybody she knew, she seized another cocktail and downed it in two seconds flat. She then resumed her position standing against the wall and hoping nobody else attempted to speak to her, unless they actually admired her for the music and not her pretty tanned face.

The person she hoped would speak to her was Mystel; the talented Egyptian who could both sing and dance, whose position at number 1 Ming-Ming had stolen from him just that morning. But the blonde had clearly paid no notice of her, currently engaged in a conversation with someone who made Ming-Ming's eyes narrow. The man her rival was conversing with she recognised as a member of the rock group she despised. He was, of course, the sophisticated one, but that made no difference in her eyes. He was still in good acquaintance with that Kuznetsov, and his whore Kingston. It didn't matter that Gar…Gar…Garfield?...it didn't matter that he was clearly honour-bound, never leaving the side of his indigent wife even when surrounded by far more attractive women, Ming-Ming still looked on him as one of them.

Deciding to simply compete for conversation, she finally left her spot on the wall and casually made her way over. She was stopped, however, before she even reached them. Seeing them meander in the other direction, she sighed and looked up at the man who'd now taken hold of her by the arm. Kai's smirk met her half-way.

'You've had quite enough,' he said smoothly, making Ming-Ming confused and slightly flustered.

'What?' she stammered out, after gaping for a few seconds. 'But I…I've barely had anything!'

Kai chuckled a little and lowered his head to their faces were merely inches apart, 'You're clearly delusional; you need to lie down. I'll escort you to your room.'

'But-!' she began, but was cut off when he began to drag her from the ballroom by her left arm. In a minor state of shock, she simply followed, not wanting to resist and cause a huge scene. All around her people were already glancing over, or even staring, as Kai slipped through the crowds like butter while Ming-Ming found herself knocking into several of them. She tried to regain her composure and flash her brilliant smile, but several of the guests either backed away slightly or went about their business.

When they reached the upper landing she finally found her voice, 'But this is so humiliating! Why did you drag me away, I thought this party was for me!'

'This _party_ was for the hotel,' Kai responded in a business-like fashion, swiping the card and admitting their entrance into Ming-Ming's suite. She stomped inside indignantly, but much to her surprise she realised that Kai had followed her.

She turned and raised an eyebrow, 'You don't need to watch over me until I fall asleep, you know.'

Kai narrowed his eyes, visibly pushed over the edge by her frustration and lack of respect towards him. Keeping his voice controlled, he said through his teeth 'I'm using your bathroom' and stepped into the black-tiled room without another word.

Ming-Ming scowled at her reflection in the mirror as she began to remove her jewellery. Taking out the two white ribbons, she watched her silky hair fall about her shoulders, the unusual colour illuminated by the sullen black of her dress. As she was kicking off her shoes, the sound of a lock being clicked caught her attention. A second later, Kai was back in the room, shirt loosened and jacket nowhere to be seen.

She looked at him suspiciously, 'Why did you lock the door?'

Kai ran a hand through his hair and took a couple of steps further into the room, 'I don't want us to be…' before the girl was aware of what was happening, her wrist was quickly seized and she was spun around and held firmly with her back against Kai's chest. Holding her firmly around the waist, he bent his head to be closer to her ear, and whispered the end of his sentence '…disturbed.'

'What are you doing?' she whispered in a panic as she tried to remove his arm. Her resistance was in vain; he was too strong for her. 'What are you going to do to me?'

Kai shushed her softly, temporarily rendering her still and unable to make any kind of sudden movement. 'It's time to pay off,' he whispered in her ear, arm still strongly keeping her pressed to him. 'I did my part, I fulfilled your dream. Now you're going to make it worth my while.'

Her auburn eyes widened with the realisation of what was about to happen. She began to shake involuntarily and tried again to release his grip. But Kai had lost patience. In one swift motion he let go of her waist, and using his other hand he swiftly shoved her face-first into the bed sheets. Feet still planted firmly on the ground, her legs were forced against the foot of the bed by Kai's, giving her no means of escape. She was almost bent double.

Still keeping one hand pushing against her upper back, his other reached down and lifted the back of her dress, forcefully pulling her panties to her skinny ankles. He heard her whimper into the linen and flap her arms uselessly, trying to push herself up and save her dignity. But this was to no avail, as Kai only pushed down harder and hissed 'You'll suffocate yourself if you don't stay still.'

She heard the rustling of clothes and felt her own tears fall from her eyes and leave a wet stain on the fabric. She screwed her eyes shut, knowing what was coming. It was worse than she had thought; he was going to rape her in the least humane way possible, as though she were a man. This she was completely unfamiliar with, and the anticipation terrified her.

Kai had fully prepared himself and was ready to strike his target. Pressing his free hand against her bare cheek, without any warning at all he forced his way in.

Ming-Ming let out a shriek which fast turned into a deep moan of agony; pressing her face into the duvet in an attempt to keep herself quiet. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain. Her eyes stayed screwed shut as he thrust himself inside her, paying no mind to how much pain she was in. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the sheets; her teeth gripped tightly shut like her eyes. Never in her life had she felt so much pain; she was certain he would be drawing blood.

He appeared to be enjoying it about as little as she was, grunting in frustration as he moved ferociously and got no sadistic kick out of her reaction. Aside from the cry of shock, nothing had been heard from her, of neither pain nor pleasure.

'What's the matter,' he breathed out, 'dead?'

Her voice was remarkably controlled, making Kai snarl, as she responded through her teeth 'You won't get a rise out of me. I refuse to give you that satisfaction.'

His eyes narrowed dangerously at her unbelievable determination. He couldn't see the tears that still fell fast and rolled down her powdered cheeks. Removing his right hand from her hip bone, he reached under her body, still stiff with resistance, and slid his fingers up her abdomen. He felt her tremble as he reached her breasts, his skilled fingers working them until he felt her nipples harden. He smirked as he worked his hand in rhythm with his thrusts. 'I'll get you' he whispered in a gruff voice, bending himself over her and smirking again at her involuntary shiver. She bared her teeth and screwed her eyes shut again, trying to remain strong and not break down into uncontrollable sobs.

Kai lifted himself up again and carried on with his forceful movements. He'd been going for a while now and his patience was beginning to wane; the girl was more stubborn and determined than he'd assumed her to be. But he wasn't leaving the hotel room until she'd given him his guilty satisfaction, and they both knew it. She couldn't hold on long enough to have him completely lose interest.

Without a word, he abruptly stopped his thrusting. Leaving himself inside her, he lowered the hand that was still fondling her breasts and roughly pulled her up by her waist, almost lifting the sheets with her, still clutched in her hands. She stood against him again, breathing heavily through her teeth in discomfort at the sensation of him still being inside her. He roughly forced her head back, keeping his hand on her forehead to keep her head on his shoulder and her gaze up at the ceiling. Her hands were free from his grasp but they hung limp at her sides, unable to muster up the energy to fight. He let a breath escape through his lips and he smirked at her shiver as the cool air made contact with the supple skin of her neck. Her chest heaved with each breath through her teeth, and her eyes remained narrowed, glaring up in the direction she was forced to look.

His right hand firmly planted on her forehead so she couldn't see what he was about to do, he reached his left down the front of her dress, this time gliding over her breasts without so much as a stroke. He felt her entire body jerk suddenly as his finger tips found her clitoris. Pushing down with even more force on her forehead as she finally began to struggle, his left index finger worked skilfully, rubbing her until he could feel her getting wet.

She obviously realised it too, and in desperation forced her free hands between them and gripped Kai's shaft to try and remove it from inside her. Kai moaned softly at the touch of her hands on him, but stayed firmly planted inside her without budging. Instead, he began to move again, driving backwards and forwards but never completely taking himself out. Her arms suddenly lost their strength and fell back to her sides, hanging limp and useless.

Kai bit his lip with impatience and worked his fingers faster, effectively rendering Ming-Ming powerless to her bodily response. She finally let out a low growl from between her teeth, breathing heavily and doing all she could to prevent herself from crying out. Kai quickly released her forehead and removed his hand from beneath her dress, bending her over again and roughly shoving her face back into the bed sheets, the way she was before. Feeling her contract as she reached her climax, the familiar sensation brought Kai to his aswell, as he rapidly plunged into her a few more times. Lying limp and powerless, Ming-Ming felt his fluids rush into her and screwed her eyes shut in disgust. This was more than agonising humiliation.

She felt him remove himself but made no effort to rise as his hand was lifted from between her shoulder blades. She heard another rustling of clothes as the man behind her straightened himself out. She didn't look up from where her face was buried, unwilling to allow anything to look her in the face. Her folds still wet, her anus raw, remaining exposed and entirely violated. She heard him sigh loudly as though he'd just finished a morning jog, and his footsteps moved across the carpet towards the locked door.

It un-clicked, and he turned back to face what he'd left behind. 'Nobody's ever put up such resistance,' he stated, sounding minorly disbelieving but utterly unimpressed.

That was the last he said, before turning on his heel and swiftly leaving, letting the door swing closed behind him. What he left in the dimly-lit hotel room, still lay on the bed where she'd been left, unmoving except for the quiet sobbing, black dress lifted to her mid-back, and frilly white underwear still hanging around her ankles.

* * *

(A/N): Oh god yes, a lemon. So early on in the story. I told you everything would start happening suddenly…

I bet right about now you're all checking to see if you read the summary right. Yes, this is a KaiTal fic, that will start being developed in the next chapter actually. And yeah, Kai sleeps with his clients on a regular basis, as hinted numerous times. So this was nothing unusual. That's important to his later relationship with Tala, but I'll say no more…

About half-way through the last scene, I had to stop writing. I was thinking to myself 'for fucks sake what the hell is wrong with me? How the hell can I write this stuff, what made me think it was a good idea in the first place?!' and when I was considering deleting the entire fic I decided to simply stop for a while…then I came back again later and just finished it :P.

Ian's not that important, he doesn't appear again until the last chapter.

So yeah, Drigger is Rei's bitbeast, Stroblitz is one of Bryan's attacks, and Venus is Ming-Ming's bitbeast…I do a bit of that mixing thing in this fic :P It mainly comes from being unable to think of names for stuff. And Bryan's band is called Blitzkreig, that's how uncreative I am. This isn't particularly important, but just so you know; Bryan, Brooklyn, Garland and Spencer are in the band. And they all live in the same apartment along with Garland's wife, who's also penniless from materialism and a nameless c-list celebrity.

…Garfield XP bahaha oh my god I'm sorry :P

Okay please review!


	3. Please Kill Me with Your Words

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): This is a bit of an odd chapter, because it sort of feels as though the events should be spread over two of maybe three chapters, but it's all compressed into one. It's because about half-way through we jump about a week or so ahead. If I'd put the second half in a different chapter they would have been really short…though having said that, the next chapter is record-breakingly short anyway…:P

We've also begun the lemon-chain :P Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 all contain different forms of lemon, with different people. I hadn't originally intended to put in so many, nor to put them all in a row, but it sort of worked out that way.

_Character List: (also shows age)_

Tala (25)- the current fashion icon

Kai (32)- a widely-known agent and producer

Rei (28)- an actor, retired young

Mariah (27)- Rei's wife, an actress past her prime

Lin (6)- Rei and Mariah's daughter

Bryan (23)- a rock star

Brooklyn (23)- Bryan's psychotic band-mate and boyfriend

Max (32)- a renowned lawyer

Ming-Ming (16)- a young, new pop singer trying to make her dream career happen

Hilary (24)- a gorgeous movie star

Tyson (24)- Hilary's dim-witted husband, and a sports star

(Tyson and Hilary don't have any actual roles within the plotlines of this story. They appear at the very beginning and end, and act as a sort of template for celebrities).

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print **

Enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 3_

_Please Kill Me with Your Words_

* * *

The revered red-head stood like a statue in his corner of the large room brilliantly lit by an endless number of makeup mirrors, trying to not move for fear of falling and glaring sharp icicles at anyone who dared approach. He hated sharing space. These amateurs didn't deserve to be within a five-metre radius of his dolled-up person, and he would make it his mission to ensure that every last one of them knew it.

Wobbling a little as he momentarily became powerless to the heavy material, Tala popped a cigarette from the coat pocket he'd already unstitched with a pair of nail scissors, under the assumption he'd be taking the coat with him after the show anyway. They couldn't deny him this, especially when the shade of maroon looked _this_ good on him. He coughed and rubbed one of his eyes, using the other hand to light the stick he held between his chapped lips. He ignored the anxious whispers which circled the room with the white wisps of poison, but the familiar clip-clop which now echoed through the room was a sound Tala knew he couldn't pretend not to hear.

'Tala, my god!' came the deep nasal voice which had already inflicted on him a minor headache. 'Put that thing out for heavens sake!'

Tala pointedly stared at her and took in a long, deep inhalation from the cigarette. Without even blinking he stepped further towards his beautician and blew a cloud of white smoke back into her face. She didn't flinch, but when Tala dropped the thing at her feet and trod it into the concrete with his priceless boots, she began to fan the air with her bony, nail-painted fingers. Tala was satisfied. He knew Estella couldn't stand cigarettes, though it wasn't exactly concealed that her youth had revolved around them; clearly resulting in her thin hair and scaly skin, which Tala never bothered to tell her was only elevated with every visit to the tanning booth.

Making overstated coughing sounds which caused the red-head to raise an eyebrow, Estella filled the atmosphere with hairspray and began to check her star over one last time.

'Oh by the way, I have something to show you,' Tala pretended not to hear the whine which hit an ear-splitting note with every word she spoke, and stood still again while she retrieved something from the table behind her. Seeing the day's newspaper brandished before his eyes, Tala adjusted his vision to read the bold print on the front page.

**[Hilary accepts invite to the annual Novae Fashion Show]**

'Hilary Kinomiya's here?' he managed to choke out, flawless eyes wide with disbelief.

'This is a world famous show, Tala; I don't see why you're so surprised,' Estella responded, dashing about trying to fix every last-minute glitch. 'And take that packet out of the coat pocket, if it were to fall your career would be finished'.

Tala scowled and raised his eyes to the ceiling as he dug his pale stick of an index finger in to fish the cigarette box out. He planted it firmly in the hand of Estella, who looked less than amused. 'Happy?'

Deeming a smile too much for the situation, she gave him a smirk as someone hollered his name in the background. 'Good luck.'

Tala nodded stiffly and turned in the direction the voice had come from, perfecting his walk in clothes he could barely keep himself upright in, never doubting for a moment the luck would be redundant.

xXx

Kai opened the car door a fraction to ensure the coast was clear, before pushing it fully with his left hand and stepping out, jacket in the other. After a subtle nod to his driver, the man ran a hand swiftly through his hair and thanked his blessing there wasn't anybody lurking around. Driving through the back alleys in order to avoid confrontation of any sort was never worthwhile if he then found he wasn't alone.

Flipping his phone open, he quickly sought for a recently added number and ran his other hand though his hair again, all the while ensuring that he wasn't being watched. Entering public buildings was like a secret mission these days; Kai reflected that a man who naturally preferred being left alone should think twice in the future before making a name for himself.

When the phone was answered, he simply stated 'It's me, let me in' by way of a greeting and abruptly snapped it shut, glancing around one last time as he strode to the black door which was already being held open for him by a silhouette against the back of the white brick building in the night sky.

Refusing all assistance and following his instincts when it came to finding his way into the main showroom, Kai marched alone through the empty corridors, slinging on his expensive jacket and smoothing his hair over one last time. Nobody would notice him entering through a different door; in fact they might even expect it.

Having finally found his entrance to the correct room, as predestined Kai slipped through the small crowds of world-class icons and the simply affluent without any disturbance, to his reserved seat right at the front. Promptly interrupting a call on his phone by switching the thing off and flicking it shut, he noticed a mass of deep emerald green take a seat beside him.

'Kai Hiwatari,' the green mass greeted with a warm tone. 'What a nice surprise.'

Kai didn't have to turn his head to realise who was speaking to him. 'Hilary,' he responded, with a small nod and the minutest of smiles which basically consisted of a lip twitch. Sighing with boredom he decided to resume the conversation, just for kicks. 'How's your husband?'

'He's recovering well, thanks. Hopefully he'll be playing again soon,' she smiled at him, but he continued to stare straight ahead, as though hoping to glare a hole in the white silk curtain which hung behind the long platform. The deity had opened her mouth to say something else, but never got the chance as suddenly the bright lights were dimmed and a rather old glamour model stepped up to announce the beginning of the Novae Fashion Show.

For most of the ornate procession Kai sat with his eyes restlessly darting about, a continuous twitch of boredom as every mannequin marched by. His eyes were barely on them at all, and several times he glanced down at his watch. The woman next to him was paying no mind whatsoever though, apparently engrossed in the sequence before her, pen in hand as though she were preparing herself to bid for each one.

He'd barely even noticed the music tempo amplify; the sudden change in lighting hadn't quite reached his attention either. Nothing about the way everybody inched forward in their seats, creating an atmosphere of intensity to be broken any moment. It was only when he turned sharply to send a cold glare towards a photographer did he finally notice him.

For a split second he seemed to forget who or where he was. Feeling his jaw and shoulders drop ever so slightly, and his eyes open wider as though everything below them were sinking, he inched forward with the rest of them for a moment, to get a closer look. And his expression morphed itself into a look of concentration, an attempt to hide the sensation that he might be about to melt.

The man walked with such elegance; such an aura of superiority. It seemed as though nothing would deter his fierce glare from the spot he'd decided to fixate on; no amount of strong wind could knock him from his feet, no matter how slender he was. It appeared his outfit had adjusted itself to suit his walk, his style. And that striking red hair and milk skin was such an unusual combination, particularly with those eyes. Kai could hardly tear his own away from them. They shone out a light of their own, cut through whatever they were directed at. Like staring into precious stones and frozen pools, and yet, as Kai couldn't help but observe when they were directed at him, it seemed they had the ability to freeze everything else. It was undeniable, that when Tala Ivanov had diverted his gaze to stare down straight into his eyes, Kai could feel the cold. It was as though an icicle was sliding its way down his throat, and into his chest.

And that was when he knew. Turquoise was history. Time for a new project. Something that wouldn't be a waste of his time.

xXx

Stuffing the packet into what he'd decided was now his coat, Tala rubbed away at his cheek as he pushed open the heavy door and emerged into the darkness of the night. Removing his hand to search for the lighter, his palm scuffed the material and permanently left a creamy stain of what he'd just wiped from his pale face.

'Fuck,' Tala cursed, making a half-assed attempt at rubbing it off with his thumb, but to no avail. Sighing, he brought the freshly-lit cigarette to his mouth and took a long inhalation of something he badly needed. Who cared if the thing was stained anyway, he could still wear it.

The reverie he'd allowed himself to fall into while watching the smoke encircling the cold night air was abruptly brought to an end when the door was ungraciously pushed open. Jumping in shock, Tala turned to scowl at the person who had followed him and made him flinch…only to find himself gawking a split second later.

The man Tala had recognised from a torn-up newspaper he'd recently seen soaking in filth in a parking lot somewhere, stepped out with a smirk on his face and allowed the door to close behind him with a heavy thud. Tala licked his lips involuntarily as he became very much aware of their proximity. This was ten times more intense than the moment the red-head had recognised him while walking down the runway. No, this time the man was standing less than two metres away, very much in touching range. And Tala's strongest instinct at that moment was admittedly to reach out and grab him.

But he remained composed, or at least somewhat, as Kai cleared his throat and fixated on him through the long strands of blue hair which fell before his deep and entrancing eyes. 'Kai Hiwatari,' he stated bluntly in such a sexy voice Tala felt he _must_ be putting it on. 'I believe we could make a…very fine deal'.

He spoke assuming Tala knew exactly who he was, but the red-head didn't notice this supercilious detail. He was far too caught up in the fact that he'd just realised that Kai Hiwatari _wasn't_ putting on that alluring voice. And having never actually heard the man speak before, Tala wondered how he could have gone this long without it.

Finally regaining his composure, Tala adopted a similar smirk as he casually leant back against the black bars. Kai's lip twitched and Tala felt a surge of confidence. Tala knew how to please, and this man clearly liked what he saw. 'Tala Ivanov,' he remarked 'though I'm sure you know that'.

Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, but decided to humour him. 'I'm not interested in standing around for idle chit-chat, Tala. Can we make a deal or can't we?'

Tala, having almost released the deep moan which formed in his throat when Kai said his name, flicked a strand of hair from his face in a blasé manner and glanced casually back at the man with half-lidded eyes. 'What I ask for is appreciation, though appreciation for my impeccable bedroom skills would never qualify. Those in particular aren't pleasures for the public eye'.

He smirked at Kai's attempt at covering up his surprise at the model's response. And Tala didn't doubt he was surprised; he was no idiot like Kai's other clientele turned out to be. The rumours that encircled this man followed him like a swarm of insects, and Tala certainly believed them to be true, for the most part. He would never put anything past him; he definitely felt he knew what this man was capable of. And more importantly, he had to let Kai know that he wasn't stupid.

Though admittedly, he mused as he watched Kai Hiwatari attempt to control his state of fluster, he stood by what he'd thought when he saw the stern stare bearing into him from the newspaper. He'd bring a lustful glare to that face one day, despite his precaution. And despite his precaution, he knew Kai was thinking the very same thing. After all, this was what sweet dreams were made of. One day, that explosion would be one he could claim.

xXx

_Rei squinted to adjust his eyes to the light as he cast them around him. It was so dim he could barely make out the size of the room, much less the colour of the walls. It was certainly nowhere he had been before. Finally glimpsing where the source of light was, he stopped in his tracks at the figure lit perfectly by the soft golden glow on the floor beside him. As far as Rei could tell, other than that the room was completely empty. And in a strange eerie way the thought comforted him greatly. Nothing sumptuous and complicated this time; clearly nobody around to watch. No eyes to spy. At this point, it was the way he wanted it. It was all bare. Even, as Rei noticed with a soft moan, the figure sat in front of him, facing the same way Rei was, still like a beautiful sculpture, and every aspect of his physique illuminated perfectly by the tiny light. So beautiful Rei at first couldn't bring himself to disturb it; the first time ever he had seen Bryan Kuznetsov in this way. _

_But before long his amber eyes were presented with more. The man sat alone on the stripped floor began to slowly move, breathing heavily and stressing out every motion, as though he hadn't moved in years. He arched his back in a stretch and the watching man behind him could only gaze as he saw the strong muscles in his shoulders contract, and his tail bone lift slightly from the floor. 'Turn around', Rei silently pleaded, 'please turn around and show me more'._

_Lowering his arms slowly, he turned his head towards the light, illuminating his every stoic feature, every harsh shadow. Rei licked his lower lip as the eyes made golden stared at him, as though to penetrate. And boy, did it work. Feeling his chest contract, he took a step forwards, eyes hungry with so much more than lust. _

_Bryan smirked at him, but didn't turn around. He continued to look over his shoulder, creating a soft golden halo around his profile which stood out amidst the darkness. It almost felt as though the rest of the room had melted away. The smirk made Rei gulp, and Bryan clearly saw this. Releasing a small chuckle, he growled in his deep tone 'think you can handle this, Kon?'_

_Without waiting for a response (which Rei had no idea of how to make anyway), Bryan turned back to face the wall, and for a second Rei could only see his back and shimmering hair. But as the golden eyes began to travel down his flawless build, Bryan let himself fall backwards until he was completely laid down on the floor, and tilted his head back so that Rei could see his satisfied smirk upside-down. His expression and position had 'come and get me' written all over it, and Rei was just about ready to follow the command. There he was, in all his glory, exactly as Rei had imagined him before, many many times. _

_His eyes still locked on Rei's, Bryan assiduously slid one hand down his own chest, lips twitching at the touch of the skin gliding over him, down to his abdomen and lower still. Rei's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as Bryan began to pump at himself, increasing the pressure slightly with every slow movement until his eyes began to glaze. The man still standing began to feel himself get hard, as Bryan's chest began to heave and he screwed up his eyes, lip twitching in time with the pumps which were becoming increasingly faster. Rei could not break his gaze. That hand, that working hand, it set off fireworks in his mind whenever it appeared. And the other began to rise, brought to Bryan's lips as he bit hard against the skin to stop himself from crying out. _

_Finally Rei felt his knees weaken as Bryan released a low growl of pleasure, jolting his crotch to the ceiling as the hot white fluid poured out from him like a torrent. He lay back against the cold floor once again, and as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his neck, a similar bead of saliva made its way down Rei's chin. But a second later, the heavy breathing stopped, and Bryan once again tilted his head so Rei could see his upside-down leer. 'What are you waiting for?' he murmured. _

_Rei cautiously stepped over to him, as any mere mortal might who was stepping towards a god. But when he got close enough to have a proper view, he found himself unable to move again. This was too intense even for his imagination to handle; he could do no more than he would in real life. Bryan's sturdy body stared back at him, enticing him nearer, inviting his touch, but to no avail. Bryan sat up and moved so that he was kneeling right in front of Rei. He smirked again 'scared, are we?' Despite the condescending tone, it was said in such a sexy voice that Rei didn't even care. 'Well don't worry, Kon. I'll warm you up'. _

_He began to undo Rei's jeans, those hands working so close to Rei's crotch he could feel himself heating up already. Once his jeans were at their feet, instead of removing the final layer of clothing, Bryan instead took Rei's shaft in his hand, and began to rub it through the material. Rei moaned at the sensation, his reaction bringing the smirk back to Bryan's lips. This was what those hands were really made for…_

_Before Rei could get too excited, the hands abruptly stopped. The golden eyes narrowed as Rei opened his mouth to complain, but Bryan was already taking hold of the waist band of Rei's boxers. Slowly pulling them down, Rei felt a terrifying, yet thrilling sense of vulnerability, and found he was powerless to do anything, not that he would ever want to. He could feel the cold air on him, and nothing stimulated him more than that feeling of exposure. _

_A hiss escaped through his gritted teeth as he felt Bryan's warm tongue slide around the tip of his penis. Rei strained his neck and threw his head back, digging his finger tips into Bryan's sturdy shoulders as the robust man's tongue flicked across the sensitive surface of his skin. It had been far too long since such actions had given him such pleasure in real life, and yet even what Kai Hiwatari had once done to him paled in comparison to this. Most definitely too good to be true._

_Just as Rei felt he was getting close to his climax, again the source of his pleasure abruptly stopped. But this time he couldn't even react before, without warning, Bryan's hands grasped a firm grip on his buttocks, and he took Rei's entire length inside his mouth. Rei cried out in shock, and gripped Bryan's hair as he felt the blissful warmth, working together with the sliding tongue to give him almost unimaginable pleasure. It wasn't long before it all became too much, and with a hoarse moan Rei bucked as he felt his own fluids rush out of him. Bryan, who had moved away just in time, remained on his knees but slid his hands up and down Rei's thighs, pulling him closer simultaneously. 'I'm not done with you yet,' he whispered in a husky voice._

_Rei smirked this time at the younger man's vivacity, enjoying the tingle of Bryan's fingers gently touching him just below the rear. Any minute now would be the moment Rei had been waiting for since the beginning of this little fantasy. As he continued to slowly step towards Bryan, he saw the man lay down in front of him, still pulling at him all the while to follow. Rei willingly did as he was silently commanded, slowly leaning until he hovered about a foot above the man on the cold bare floor, holding his weight with the muscles in his arms. Bryan smiled and began to rise his upper body, slowly leaning towards him with that trademark smirk forming once again. When he had reached high enough to have his lips level with Rei's ear, he whispered 'I don't play submissive'._

_Before Rei could even react, he was suddenly seized by both arms and flung almost violently to the floor. Bryan was on top of him, and their positions had switched before Rei could even comprehend what was happening. The feeling of shock melted away as his expression relaxed. Bryan was positively leering over him. _

_A few lasting seconds of tense waiting, before Bryan swooped in for his catch. A moment or two to stare intently, before Rei's head shot up and his chest expanded. The moments were over in a flash, as Rei felt Bryan enter him._

'Excuse me, sir?'

_It was forceful, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Rei would have it no other way. That drive of power was everything he wanted. _

'Mmhm…'

_That surge…the unbelievable pleasure with every thrust Bryan made... _

'Erm, sir?'

'Oh,' Rei started, blinking for a few seconds and staring up, rather startled, into the face of the woman looking down at him. 'sorry…' he muttered stupidly, trying to gather his wits.

'Sir, you've been sitting here for a little while now, are you sure you won't order something?' the waitress said politely.

Leaning slightly to the left to look past her wide-set hips, Rei smiled lightly as he caught sight of the man entering through the glass doors. Relaxing slightly, and rubbing his eye he responded, 'Alright, we'll see the menu now please'.

She scuttled away and in her place stepped the heavy boots of the very person Rei had been waiting for. Having been rather awe-struck on previous days of appointed meeting, he now found himself quite composed and able to greet him 'your timing is more impeccable than usual' without even looking up at him.

Bryan chuckled in a good-natured manner, 'Gathering up the nerves to sass me are we, Kon? I guess I should start re-thinking my image'.

They shared a smile, and Rei glanced down at his menu. A few seconds following Bryan finally did the same. Lazily flicking the thing down onto the table again, Bryan planted his elbow beside it and rested his jaw bone on his clenched fist. 'So how's the wife?' he asked in a pleasant tone, an ironic smile gracing his features.

Rei bit his lower lip and continued moving his eyes swiftly over his menu. 'She's fine,' he answered vaguely. Then, realising it would be polite to return the inquiry, no matter how little he wanted to, he lifted his eyes without moving anything else and stiffly asked, 'how's Kingston?'

Bryan raised an eyebrow at the use of his lover's last name, but didn't voice his curiosity. 'Well.' he stated, managing an even more concise response than Rei had about Mariah. 'Nice shades, by the way' he drawled casually, casting his eyes idly around the room and checking to make sure nobody was looking at him in much the same manner.

'Thanks,' Rei smiled out one side of his mouth, pushing his aviators up a little higher with his index finger. 'And your disguise isn't half bad either' he finished sarcastically.

Bryan scoffed and murmured 'I'm not wearing one,' though they both knew he'd shared the joke. As though finally getting impatient with idle small-talk, he finally stared square into the half-shaded eyes of the man sitting opposite. 'So how's the Stroblitz gig coming?'

Rei subtly gulped and lifted his hand to scratch around his neck. 'It's…I'm working on it,' he said awkwardly, hoping Bryan wouldn't inquire into the process too much. It wasn't as though Rei had been lying about his abilities to get Bryan what he wanted…he just wanted to stretch it out a little longer.

Luckily for him, Bryan could care less about questioning details. 'Alright then,' he smiled smugly. 'I'll let you do your thing, and you keep kindly doting on an idiot and his needs.'

Rei laughed, perhaps a little too loudly, and attempted to cover it up with an exaggerated cough, which just proved to be a little too much and he ended up feeling quite foolish. Finally composing himself, he broke the little awkward silence which had followed his one-man performance with a light smile, 'The idiot will have his gig. And any amount of time he needs to pay back the money I supply him with'.

'_Nothing but a vicious circle, Bryan Kuznetsov,' _Rei's thoughts told him. _'An idiot dependent of an even bigger idiot…and nothing to possibly end it but pain. And yet, I still press on…'_

xXx

'…_and though perhaps we have Kai Hiwatari to thank for the success, one thing is clear; Tala Ivanov is a superstar destined to shine.'_

'Hm?' Tala initially turned back towards the television frowning as though the woman speaking had done him an injury. But when he caught sight of his own beautiful face flashing across the screen amongst various type-faces for the best-selling magazines, his expression softened and perhaps he managed a small smile. It was difficult to tell whether Tala was smiling or not these days.

'…_it sure isn't going to be difficult finding suitable Christmas presents this year, ladies. Tala's book has returned to the shelves of all major book stores and already has been declared a best-seller, as well as-'_

Tala jabbed at the power button on the remote control, cutting off the woman in the middle of her excited oration. Why the fuck they were interested in Christmas was beyond Tala's logic; the holiday was still two months away. Shaking his head and releasing a loud sigh, Tala carelessly threw the control back on to the couch (though it missed by inches and landed on the floor with a thud). Hearing that his book was once again selling…no, hearing his book was _selling_, full stop, he knew he ought to be thrilled, or even slightly contented at the very least. And if not that, the fact that he was on a number of magazine covers that could match Tyson Kinomiya was surely enough to make him glow with pride? For the public, perhaps. For himself, he simply couldn't find the energy.

Ignoring the great urge he had to stretch, Tala finally moved his feet from the spot by the rattling window they'd been glued to for at least the past two hours, and made his way towards the bedroom for a cigarette. All the while he took great comfort -though he didn't really show it- in the fact that he wasn't under a strict schedule; he had nowhere to be in the next few minutes; he wasn't stuck in a room that didn't belong to him with a load of other temperamental divas. No, this time Tala had some time to think; a chance to smoke without sensing he was about to be scolded for it. This was his space this time.

His apartment was so far from anything special, no member of the general public would ever believe it belonged to someone so fabulous. And that's exactly why Tala liked it. They had always told him he could afford so much better, but to be frank he simply didn't care. What excitement could ever be had in the luxurious suburbs? Besides, he'd lived there far too long to abandon the place now. Since stepping out of that god-awful orphanage this had been his home, and in his mind it made no sense to leave it. They always told Tala he grew attached to things too easily, and he would usually respond by somehow making himself rid of them.

He stepped into the room where the curtains were still half closed, and the bed half made, and walked over to the cigarette box on the bedside table, where below it a drawer lay half open. Avoiding the mirror at all costs, he retrieved the lighter from the drawer and sat down on the bed for the first inhalation. And like a dying diabetic inhaling sugar, it restored him for the little while he would need to carry on, until the next time.

Returning the lighter to the drawer, he dug his hand into it and rummaged around for a couple of seconds, leaving it in its position as though opening it further would break it. Finally finding what he was searching for, he drew his hand out with a pharmacy plastic bag, and a brown paper one. Placing the brown one on the sheets beside him, he temporarily placed the cigarette in the nearby ash tray and retrieved the first rattling container from the plastic bag. Squinting to read the tiny print on the side and coming out unsuccessful from impatience, he shook his head and dropped six of the oval pills into his palm. Dry-swallowing them all at once, he returned the bag to the drawer and picked up the one beside him. It made a rustling noise as his stick fingers poked around in a desperate search, before drawing out a clear zip-lock bag which was almost completely empty save for a few specks of white dust.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck…' Tala groaned in despair. He'd run out.

Sniffing indignantly and retuning the bag to the drawer, he dragged himself up again and took his cigarette back to the living room. Tala had been taking an awful lot lately, and the fact that he'd been taken under the wing of Kai Hot-Sex-On-Legs Hiwatari didn't do an awful lot to improve his conditions; much to his disappointment. Perhaps it was the lack of sex. But he knew one thing for certain; he was cracking up. No matter how much he tried to disguise it, he couldn't deny it any longer. Determined to believe he wasn't beyond help, he had managed to obtain a load anti-depression pills, as well as the usual amount for his dodgy sleeping patterns when he had shoots at all hours of the night and day. But the present-day Tala looked back on that tiny ray of determination with pride; that ship had pretty much sailed. The sleeping pills had never worked wonders for him anyway, and the anti-depressants only made him worse. But with every meal reappearing minutes after forced consumption back the same way it went down, he was relieved to have _something_ that would stay put after he swallowed it.

But it wasn't really until Kai'd come along that he had resorted to actually obtaining illegal drugs. The stress of keeping up _that_ façade, along with the sexual tension which came with it, was too exhausting for Tala to cope with on his own. If he could see himself now, five years ago, he'd commit suicide, and he knew it. It was so easy to promise fame wouldn't get to you, but Tala believed that until actually lived, fame and all assumptions associated with it were dreams for those who didn't ever want to wake up.

A blazing ring which Tala swore was louder than usual pierced the silence and made him jump. Tossing the half-finished cigarette out of the window he had to make a real effort to pull open, he was vaguely suspicious as he slowly dragged his feet towards the door, from which another awful ring was sounding.

The person on the other side of his door surprised him even more than the original ring. Terribly thankful he tossed the elixir of life into the cold air outside, he found himself unsure what to say, as he stepped to the side to let her in.

'What are you doing here?' he softly croaked after a couple of minutes. She hadn't taken her eyes from him from the moment she'd seen him, and her expression much mirrored his, though he was certain she had _known_ who she was expecting to be behind the door.

'I, um,' she said awkwardly. 'I came to say goodbye, Tala. I suspected we'd all been let go, but…well I didn't hear the news until today, so…'

For a moment, Tala felt a small pang of sympathy for her. Without changing his expression, he nodded and inquired 'what will you do?'

'Oh,' Estella replied in a tone that matched Tala's mood. 'I'll find other clients to look after.' She took a long look at him, as though breathing in every detail like Tala did his nicotine. And with every second her eyes were on him, they drooped and her skin became ever so slightly paler. Tala became irritated and uncomfortable, but just as he was about to say something, she whispered hoarsely 'Tala…my god, you…you look so sick.'

Tala frowned; he was certainly not in the mood for this. Estella looked positively horrified and it certainly did neither of them any good for her to point out what they both already knew. Nothing had reinstated his decision so clearly; it was time to let them go. It had been long enough.

'What have you done to yourself?' she spoke out in despair. 'Tala I have never seen anything more horrifying! Even your beautiful eyes are dull and shady. Is that Hiwatari encouraging this? Tala, please listen to me, you have to stop doing this! I can't bear to see you this way! How did you ever become so _thin_?-'

'That's enough, Estella.'

'It's like looking at a skeleton! Can't you-'

'Estella, I said that's _enough_.'

'-even hold down food anymore, or have you given up on eating altogether?'

Tala made a move before she could even open her mouth to get the next accusation out. As he advanced she fought herself not to scream, but he didn't touch her. He just stood over her, finally an identifiable emotion flashing through his dull eyes.

'Get out.' He barely whispered it, but he knew she had heard. Lip quivering violently, Estella said not another word, as she slowly backed out the door. She still never took his eyes off him, and Tala would never forget the last he saw of the woman who he'd once relied on; the look of pure terror, like the expression of someone come face-to-face with their worst nightmare. Even then he knew it would never leave him completely.

Shutting the door she'd left open, he almost made a beeline to the phone, his anger spurring him on all the while. It rang a couple of times before the very familiar smooth voice casually met Tala's ear.

'Hello, Kai Hiwatari speaking…'

'You might have told her, you bastard!'

Tala could almost hear the irresistible smirk on the other end, 'Ah, Tala. My favourite officious client.'

The red-head rolled his eyes and tried with all his might to prevent the automatic smile from gracing his features with the sound of the man's voice. 'Why didn't you tell her?'

Kai audibly sighed. 'Who, Tala?' he asked as though trying to humour an irrational four-year-old.

'Estella, and…and the rest of them,' Tala snapped indignantly. 'Why didn't you tell them they'd been let go?'

Kai made an impatient 'hm' noise, clearly stating he was getting tired of the conversation. He briefly said 'it's not up to me to carry out such tasks,' before bringing it to a firm close by changing the subject entirely. 'And by the way, don't think you have the authority to call me a bastard just because we're working in close proximity now.'

Tala raised an eyebrow, though he knew nobody could see him. 'I'll call you what you deserve to be called,' he smirked, knowing he was taking a gamble.

'Well if you insist on acting that way, I'm well entitled to punish you the way you _deserve_ to be punished,' he smoothly responded.

'Hm, that sounds exciting, but let's make sure it doesn't dampen our reputations.' So far from angry, Tala was almost _smiling_ now.

There was a chuckle on the other line, 'Tala, what could we _possibly_ not get away with?'

He believed it to be a rhetorical question, but Tala knew where this conversation was going nonetheless. Feeling his energy supply for the day fast diminishing, he too let out a low chuckle and croaked out 'well, these phone bills don't pay for themselves…'

Kai, whose phone bills very possibly _did_ pay for themselves, smirked one more time and muttered in his deep and sexy voice 'well alright, I look forward to the next tantrum.'

It was now Tala's turn to 'hm' indignantly. 'I'm hanging up now, you bastard.'

'I'll remember you said that,' came the final swift response. Tala found the energy to release one last smile, before returning the phone to its receiver and dragging himself back into the depths of his room, rubbing his tired eyes all the while, in search of another cigarette.

xXx

There was a knock at the door, and from the other side a faint voice could be heard saying 'Mr. Tate?'

Max quickly exited the pacman window on his computer, and opened up something at random that might look important. 'Yes?' he called out to the person at the door, not looking up as the man entered.

'Sir, we have a request court-case we believe you may be interested in.'

Finally tearing his eyes from the screen, Max lifted his head to face the man standing before him, looking mildly interested. 'Oh really? Well, I'm all ears…'

The man nodded and flicked through the papers in his hands, before handing them over to the lawyer, who also flicked through them as the man spoke, nodding every so often. 'The court case concerns that young singer girl, Ming-Ming. She's trying to win a case against Kai Hiwatari, who she claims has been the inflictor of sexual assault.' He paused in thought for a moment. 'Apparently it was quite explicit, if I remember rightly…'

Max gave a final nod, now reading certain paragraphs of the claim in more depth. 'Well, I certainly don't doubt this girl is telling the truth, and on top of that I'm not surprised about the entire ordeal. We all know what Kai Hiwatari can get up to,' he said, speaking as though the lawyer and renowned sex-addict were great friends. But in fairness, he wasn't the only one who spoke of Kai in such ways. It was suspected by almost everyone that the stories which spread about him were true. Max personally felt it was a wonder that nobody had tried to put at end to it yet, or at least question him. But the man never was very good at letting information slip in responses…or giving responses, for that matter.

Max sat back in his chair a little and gave it a bit of thought. If he accepted the case and became the plaintiff's lawyer he would be up against a very powerful man. He was certainly not above bribery and perhaps even blackmail, or so Max suspected. But at that point, the more pressing issues seemed to out-weigh that detail. Kai Hiwatari was a widely-criticized individual, for one with such an influence. He was the man the nation loved to hate; his power came from their passionate loathing, which only made everything worse for others, and better for him. Max knew that by assisting in this case, he could not only increase his already out-standing reputation, but it was very likely that he and Ming-Ming could win. After all, he doubted there was a single person who would believe that Kai _hadn't_ committed this crime. It simply wasn't probable, not for him.

Giving his employee a decisive smile, Max placed the papers neatly on his desk and firmly stated 'you can give my consent; I have agreed to be Ming-Ming's lawyer for the case. Please have my secretary arrange a time with the girl, and I'll definitely do my best to get this situation sorted out for her.'

xXx

It wasn't as though the thoughts were new; it was simply the fact that they'd finally forced their way through the barrier. Like a beaten toy, done for but still dragged around, used for the entertainment of others, and falling to pieces sooner than it should be. Sealed in protective glass, that toy might have survived the way it should. But allowed to be played with, and left outside in the dirt and rain of an abandoned garden no one cared for, he was broken. Tearing up once again; it wasn't as though it hadn't been aware, it was just the protection wearing off. The barrier had been broken through, and the stitches had unwound.

The change seemed so sudden, though without much awareness it had been gradually occurring for a long time. Everybody told him the same thing; he had never truly listened to any of them. The one person who mattered had stayed conveniently silent, and that was that. So easy to just pretend everything was fine; it was all better this way. Perhaps he could be seventeen and fabulous again, perhaps he could be truly alive.

But all that had ended in the count of half a second. One defining glance at the reflection he was avoiding. That was all it took, and now Tala Ivanov was sitting by himself in the dark.

A mixture of terror and pain had encircled his body and mind as it finally clicked that everything they told him was the truth. His skin shade really was unnatural; he really was becoming dangerously skeletal. Being a new inspiration was taking its toll on him, and the critics would for ever be harassing him for pushing too far over the edge. Mistakes could be made that he couldn't reverse, fragile lives very easily ruined. None of it intentional, entirely his fault. And they would never let him forget it. It seemed their words had finally got to him.

So now he sat, curled up in the bathtub. His cigarettes surrounded him, and on the bathroom floor spilled out the pills he'd just overdosed on again. But he couldn't see them; he couldn't see anything. He'd chosen the one room where the natural light couldn't find him, and cut the artificial light to avoid the ominous mirror, and any attempt at ever seeing himself again. He had no idea how long he had sat there without moving. His only indication of night falling was the obvious change in temperature. He shivered violently as his hands wrapped themselves around his emaciated figure, covered in bruises he didn't know he had before.

It wasn't as though he didn't know the imperfections. He just hadn't allowed himself to see them before. He knew about the bags under his eyes, the occasional skin imperfections from constant smoking. What he didn't remember from before was that deep shadow which cast itself below the bags, the harsh dents which had appeared below his cheekbones, and the once-glowing orbs of topaz, which really had morphed into dull pools of grey. He didn't remember himself being this way. The magazine images were all he'd seen lately; and he looked beautiful then. Catching sight of himself was the wakeup call he'd hoped would never come. And for a while he didn't believe it to really be him. It was…ugly…so ugly. He couldn't be ugly. He was Tala Ivanov; he was beautiful. The magazines said so.

Though this consideration did nothing to make him feel better, and only resulted in Tala sitting by himself in the bathtub in the dark, caked in concealer and blinking through his own lashes, made heavy with too much mascara. Dolled-up like a cheap whore, Tala the beaten toy sat alone in his abandoned garden, waiting for someone to find him and stitch him back up.

Even if he had been listening for them, he wouldn't have heard the feet on the stairs.

xXx

Kai smirked to himself as he twirled his key ring around his right index finger. Walking down the hall he now knew rather well, his expensive shoes scuffed the tattered carpet as his tongue ran itself over his top layer of teeth. This was essentially a surprise visit, but Kai was good at this sort of thing. He'd always had a gift when it came to knowing where people were without stalking. He would be in tonight, and Kai was looking forward to the reaction when he saw the enigma outside his door.

'_Yes,'_ Kai thought to himself, as he approached the green door, identical to the rest except for the brass number. _'I've waited long enough for this already.'_

He found the correct key and turned it in the lock, pausing before opening the door to run a hand through his flawless hair. Clearing his throat and adopting another smirk, he pushed the door open and let himself in, closing it softly behind him.

It at first occurred to him that his instincts may have been wrong. Frowning, he stepped further in and opened his mouth to call out his name. He paused before any sound escaped his lips. Mouth still open, he flicked on the light and could only stare at the space around him.

Never had he seen it look such a mess. Magazines littered the floor, covering the spaces of carpet that weren't already hidden beneath the contents flung from every drawer. But this was no regular slop, and looking at it made Kai stop in his tracks. His pulse had suddenly increased. For the first time since he could remember, he was genuinely worried. The delicate curtain rail was lying below one of the windows, having been yanked far too hard and collapsed. The chair was moved at least four feet from where it originally had been, as though someone had tried to drag it but given up. The drawers had all been opened and by the looks of it, completely emptied. Glasses lay smashed on the countertops and what Kai hoped was wine had left a deep stain in the carpet. Even the glass coffee table lay in pieces, the mirror which had once hung proudly on the wall amidst the broken glass, showing pieces of Kai's reflection from where it had shattered.

Narrowing his eyes and trying to remain controlled, though he could still feel his heart pounding, Kai cautiously stepped through the wreckage and kept his eyes open for anything suspicious. Listening intently and picking up on not the slightest sound, he relaxed his shoulders a little and gulped, before warily speaking out.

'Tala?' he almost winced as he heard his voice, speaking out and breaking the silence for the first time in god-knows-how-long.

A stifled murmur caught his attention. It was so soft anybody else probably would have missed it, but Kai's sense of hearing and determination even heard it through the pounding he could now feel in his ears. Whipping his head around so fast his vision blurred for a moment, he stayed stock still and stared pointedly at the handle of the bathroom door. After debating for a moment whether he'd been imagining it, he exhaled a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding, and reached for the handle.

When he opened that door, and flicked on that light, Kai was met with a sight he'd never be able to let go of.

'Tala!' he gasped out breathlessly. Despite the sudden rush of luminosity, the pale, shivering red-head didn't even move an inch. Kai's eyes widened at the display before him; it was nothing he'd ever expected to see from someone who'd always seemed so supercilious. This, he concluded, was almost worse than the fear that had encircled him before he knew where Tala was.

Without second thought, he was at the red-head's side in half a second, though Tala didn't divert his stare from the tiles straight ahead. Watching him still hold himself tightly, Kai couldn't tell if he was making a point of not looking up at him, or if it was even possible he hadn't noticed Kai come in. Perhaps there was something seriously wrong with him.

Swallowing and gathering his wits, Kai bent down and scooped Tala up in his arms. Half relieved and half dreadfully surprised, Kai found that he barely weighed a thing. Tala allowed himself to be lifted, still staring ahead through half-lidded, misty eyes at absolutely nothing. He was limp in Kai's firm hold, and it was so pathetically unlike him that Kai wanted to shake him, desperately force out of him some form of resistance. But, none came, and Kai carried Tala to his room, where he placed him gently on the bed.

Tala finally looked up at him, curling himself slowly into a ball and wrapping his frail arms around his chest, as though forming some sort of pitifully weak protection. For the first time in what seemed like years, he found the will to speak. Opening his mouth he croaked out 'y-you're not going to…?'

'Tala,' Kai whispered gently, looking slightly offended amidst the anxiety. 'What the _hell_ makes you think I would?'

Tala didn't say anything else. Allowing his head to flop to one side down on the cold pillow, his eyes began to drift shut but his body continued to tremble. Kai shook out the blanket at the foot of the bed and draped it over him, before walking to the other side and placing himself down beside the red-head. He glanced over with uncertainty, but Tala didn't move. Kai saw this as a good sign, and lay his own head down on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling knowing he could never bring himself to fall asleep, his thoughts so far from where they'd been when he had first set out to Tala's apartment.

* * *

(A/N): I loved writing this chapter; mainly because it was full of Tala and his scenes are my favourite :).

So who caught the unimportant minor piece of information I snuck in during Rei's daydream? XD Unimportant for this story now…but in his past it could have initiated something…hmm? Don't worry if you don't understand =P it really isn't important.

Oh, one more thing, what the hell is Brooklyn's last name? I've been using Kingston, but it says Masefield on Wikipedia, but _everyone_ uses Kingston! I wonder if this is something an author made up one day and it turned into this massive Kingston myth, like the one where Tyson's father is called Bruce…And by the way, yes…yes I did go on Wikipedia to find Brooklyn's last name…

Review pleasums!


	4. Please Show Me Some Remorse

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): Fistly, I couldn't respond to two reviews because they were posted without being logged on, so I want to thank Alex V. and Loverose here. Alex V., I loved what you said about Tala; 'perfect in all its ruined glory'- I thought that was beautiful :D. And yeah Loverose, Tyson's dad was never actually called Bruce. I believe Ladya C. Maxine made it up originally but don't quote me on that because I could be wrong. Also, yeah Alex V. and Fairly-OddGirl got it, Kai did fuck Rei once. Think back to Ming-Ming's section in chapter 1, and what I said about Kai always having fucked all his clients. I can't stress enough how unimportant this is though; I didn't even _notice_ it until after the fic was written, and added it in while editing because I thought it was an interesting little addition.

This and chapter 6 are the two shorter chapters of this story. So, I'm sorry if it seems a bit like a let-down from the last one. The awful thing is, I don't think it was worth the mega long wait in the least...Though having said that, given the content, you might actually like it after all.

In this chapter, _the italics shows a flashback, not a dream._

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print **

Enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 4_

_Please Show Me Some Remorse_

* * *

To enter through the ruby front door would have been too much of a perilous burden, and the chances of slipping inconspicuously into the house would be a lot easier if casually approached from the back door which led into the idle study. Rei concluded this in a matter of seconds and led his little girl by the hand round to the back of their house. Lin cast an eye up at her father suspiciously, but said nothing. She wasn't sure what they were doing, but it seemed unusual enough to be some form of whimsical adventure, if only for a few minutes.

She wondered if it had anything to do with the place her daddy had just driven her to, having picked her up from school. They hadn't taken the regular route home this time, and her father had stopped somewhere for quite some time, leaving her in the car seat for at least ten minutes before coming out to retrieve her. She hadn't thought much of the place, but guessed by the way her daddy was acting that this would be a long encounter.

About two hours successive, she had finally traipsed back to the car with her father, and they had headed for home.

Once they'd rounded the side of the large house undiscovered, Rei retrieved the key to the back study door and carefully opened it. His daughter was about to walk right in, but he knelt down in front of her before she could make a move.

'Lin,' he said softly, making her lean in slightly so as to hear him properly. 'Let's keep this little…meeting daddy just had a secret, okay?'

He looked at her hopefully, and received a probing look in return. 'Why?' she asked in a normal curious little girl's voice (plainly speaking, significantly louder than necessary).

Rei winced at the volume of her tone and his left eyebrow twitched slightly. 'Well,' he felt there was certainly no point in lying to his child, whether or not the questions continued to fly at him like wasps. 'I would just prefer it if mummy didn't know about it. There are important things that she probably wouldn't approve of.'

Without trying to figure out what the word 'approve' meant, Lin, much to Rei's utter relief, didn't question him further. Her and her daddy had something to share, and though she had no idea what it was, nor did she know why he didn't want mummy to know, this was something she had been let in on. Some secret shared just between them. Because in all honesty, Lin loved her mummy very much, but daddy wasn't the one who made her eat her vegetables, or tucked her in every single night. He was the mystery she looked up to more than anyone else, and now that he had chosen her over mummy to go with him to the place, to meet those men, it made her feel like there was something keeping them together. It made her feel special. The mind of a six-year-old didn't piece much more of the puzzle together than that. Her puzzle consisted of only two fitting pieces, not the four separate ones her father's did.

She smiled and nodded happily, 'Okay, daddy,' and her hair gently swept over the reflective marble floor as she pulled it free and ran silently to the stairs. Somewhere behind her agile figure and rippling sea of ebony, Rei let out a sigh of relief and blinked guiltily for a couple of seconds, before entering the house and slowly closing the door behind him.

He took a brief moment to look around him, and adjust his eyes to the dimness of a room never used. The study was furnished with the purpose of appearing managed, but everything in there had been purchased for appearances sake. Other than that, it was the only room in the house, besides her bedroom, where Lin's drawings were displayed. Many were framed and hung, while some were simply stuck directly to the walls with tape. Because if nobody ever went in there, why need they care if the walls were gradually spoiled with scribbles on paper?

Passing through like a shadow, Rei reached the hall with the intention of also ascending the stairs, but was abruptly stopped by a piercing voice cutting through the silence. 'Rei?'

Wincing for the second time in the last few minutes, Rei bit his lip and exhaled around his teeth; he couldn't avoid this one. Holding his breath and still trying to be quiet as possible, though he knew it wouldn't make any difference, he stealthily tip-toed to the kitchen. Gently pushing open the ajar door, he prepared himself for anything that might be thrown at him, not expecting in the least, however, to be met with a literal object. The blur of silver flashed past him, smacked the wall, and clanged noisily to the floor, where he looked down at it with a bemused expression.

Tearing his eyes from it, he gaped at his wife disbelievingly. 'Did you just throw a fork at me?'

Mariah was on the opposite side of the kitchen table, by the window. She had been staring out of it moments before he'd entered, but had spun to get better force behind her throw, unfortunately resulting in a terrible aim. Her mood, much to Rei's vexation, was clear in about half a second. Anger would be a euphemism.

While he gaped with confusion at her, she glared daggers at him. Her lips were pursed tightly, and her eyes abnormally large. Her shoulders heaved slightly and he could tell her teeth were clenched behind her tight mouth, similar to her fists which were balled tightly at her sides. He gulped slightly, in spite of himself, and waited for her to explode. But she did quite an estimable job of keeping herself controlled, and simply said through her teeth, 'Take. a. look. at. _that_.'

She seethed between each word, giving off the impression she was about to spit fire at him. At the last word she slammed her hand down on the table so loudly, Rei jumped. Blinking a little, he didn't say a word but made his way over to where she stood. She turned back towards the window as he got nearer, but whatever she didn't want him to see, he wouldn't have done so anyway; he was too busy staring at table. Eyebrows furrowed in mild curiosity and confusion, he bent slightly and peered down at the magazine she had indicated to, not daring to touch it in case she'd sense the movement. He read the large title and frowned.

'Tala Ivanov?' he dared question in his bewilderment, 'What does this have to do with me?'

Forgetting herself for a moment, Mariah turned her head and shoulders back to face her husband, a very similar expression on her face. When she saw what he was looking at though, she spun back so fast he probably never saw her turn to begin with. 'The next page, for god's sake!' she snapped.

Almost afraid of what he'd find, Rei licked his lower lip nervously and gently flicked the wispy paper over. When he saw what was on the next page, he winced a little but also heaved a sigh of relief, having admittedly expected worse.

**Kon caught sneaking around!**

Evidently, Mariah couldn't see what could _be_ much worse. Giving him a look which plainly said she was waiting for him to give a similar expression of shock, her chest began to heave again and Rei knew what was about to happen. The very same thing that happened quite regularly lately, but he couldn't quite remember when it had begun.

The silence which followed was sinister. Suddenly nothing within a hundred miles seemed to be moving, or breathing, except for Mariah and her deep inhalations.

Rei glimpsed over the fist few words and his eyes travelled to the low-quality photograph of his body hunched as he meandered down the street in various shades of grey. In the foreground the focus was directed to a silver car, proving that the photograph was taken quickly, poorly, and from a definite hiding place. Rei looked curiously at his figure, and wondered how anybody could see it and instantly assume it to be him. But that was before he caught sight of the longer strands of his hair, poking out from the bottom of his coat, where he always tucked it in to deter the public eye. One small slip which had been caught, one sure way of identification. It was him, no doubt about it. And though had it just stayed put, there could have been no proof, that hair showed the world that the man suspiciously speed-walking through the nasty streets of the opposite side of town, that man was undeniably Rei Kon.

He gulped, hoping he could make her see reason, and broke the silence. 'I-It's alright. Maybe it isn't so ba-'

Mariah cut him off in mid-word as she all but swooped towards him and snatched the article from the table. Several papers fell to the floor but nobody bothered to pick them up. Gripping it tightly, she raised both hands over her left shoulder and whacked him with it as hard as she could.

'You fucking _idiot_!' she screamed, hitting him again in intervals. 'What the _fuck_ did you think you were doing?! Do you know how this is going to look?!'

'Mariah,' Rei stepped away from her and began to rub his head, disappointed but not in the least bit surprised at his wife's reaction. 'Look, is it all that bad? What does it-?'

Mariah cut through his words again, slamming the flimsy paper back on to the kitchen table. 'That you've been caught in the midst of some "suspicious actions", that you've been running around the east side of town doing god-knows what!' she yelled, accompanying her words with dramatic hand gestures. 'I can't _believe_ you would be so stupid! I told you this would happen if you weren't fucking careful!'

She carried on and began to wander aimlessly around the kitchen, but her rampage turned into background noise as Rei bent in again to look closely at the article. He prayed for the both of them that the name of a certain third person wouldn't be mentioned anywhere, and that the search had ended on the streets, as supposed to in the bars, cafés or even a certain apartment. His scanning found him no such thing, but he then discovered on the next page that there were several other photographs he hadn't see the first time. A couple more of a man unrecognisable to all but himself, walking on streets, standing by parks and restaurant entrances, and one specific print of a man anybody would recognise as him, walking out of the bank. And had he not _looked_ so guarded in every single one, it could perhaps have just gone unnoticed. He could have kicked himself. Never had he realised how obvious his body language was; no wonder it seemed people could read him so easily.

The noise quietened down, and Mariah turned around to see her husband scanning the paper. She lowered her voice level but kept the bitter tone when she followed the small silence with 'they think it's a girl.'

'What?' Rei looked up.

'They think it's a girl, some skanky nobody that you're having an affair with.' She scoffed. 'But they have it wrong, I can see that. Believe me, I can. I know the truth, Rei Kon, that you _are_ having an affair. And the skanky nobody part isn't far from wrong; the only difference is that this one is far from female.'

Rei could feel his temper rising. 'You can't think tha-!'

'Oh of _course_ I know it, don't be obtuse!' Mariah's voice had gone back to screaming level. 'You might be able to fool the public, Rei, but you never fool me! How could you ever fool the woman who knows you better than anybody, huh?! You've been whoring yourself to that disgusting Kuznetsov, having that _man_ in smut all over the fucking town!'

Rei snapped. 'You shut up!' he roared, even surprising himself a little at the harsh volume of his voice. 'I won't let you speak about him like that! Bryan Kuznetsov and I have been doing nothing, and what gives you that idea is beyond me, but I won't hear any more of this until you have calmed down!'

'I _can't _fucking calm down!' Mariah was bordering on hysteria now, and actually starting to shake a little. 'How the fuck do you expect me to be calm at this time, Rei? You tell me!'

'I won't talk about this any more!' Rei stated, ready to turn on his heel and leave. 'You're too irrational to deal with right now!'

The next thing he heard was a crash. The sound rendering him frozen stiff, his eyes widened as the noise reached his ears, of something expensive hitting the hard marble floor he had just taken a step on.

'Don't you walk away from me!' came Mariah's shrill cry at the same time as the porcelain vase was thrown. She was still quaking and her breaths were still heavy with rage.

Rei slowly turned, not once looking down to see the shards which splattered the floor, to face his wife. When he spoke, his voice was stiffly quiet, like a forced calm. 'If I can't get you to believe me in this matter, then I never had any hope at all.'

Mariah bit her quivering lip, but her heated glare remained fixated on him. 'I won't let you ruin my life.' She spoke only slightly louder than he had.

'And what about mine, Mariah? Does that not matter to you?'

He had touched a nerve. 'You had your chance!' she snapped. 'You've had years to make yourself happy and you've spent it wallowing in self-pity, hating me and hating our marriage! I can't turn a blind eye to _everything_, Rei!' she looked at his almost desperately. 'I refuse to accept your lies and allow myself to be fooled by my own wishful thinking-!'

She stopped abruptly, knowing she had said too much.

Rei didn't catch on. 'They aren't lies!' he bit back at her. 'I never lie to you, Mariah, and I never have! You're right, I haven't been sleeping with some random woman, but I haven't been sleeping with Bryan either!'

'You fucking liar!' Mariah had switched back into fury mode. 'You do lie to me; you've always lied to me! You told me you loved me when we married, you told me you would always stay at my side, you swore we would be fucking happy! But instead you turned your back on our fucking "happy" life and ogled like some senseless fish at every man who passed you by! You fucking whore, how _dare_ you try and trick me!'

'You're fucking impossible!' Rei retorted.

'You're a fucking _disgrace_!' she swiped violently and intentionally knocked her small array of wine glasses to the ground, where they smashed beside the vase and the shards mixed together. The deep red liquid splattered the floor and stained Rei's jacket.

She wasn't done. 'All these fucking _years_ of tolerating your _sinful_ lusting and your fucking _ingratitude_!' she ranted, all the while storming through the kitchen and throwing various other objects to the ground, whether they were liable to shatter or not. 'All for you to throw it all away! And for _what_?! To ruin our reputations and spit on whatever the fuck we have left, to defy me in every possible way and have an affair behind my back?!'

'Mariah, stop!' thankfully for Rei, his demand didn't voice his desperation. He caught Mariah by the wrists as she reached for the fruit bowl and firmly held her still. She bared her teeth at him, still seething and clearly resenting being handled. 'Smash one more thing and I'm walking out.'

Mariah wrenched herself free, but didn't make a grab for anything else. 'You will not leave this house,' she ordered bluntly. 'If I had my way you would never leave again. You don't deserve it.'

'It's not for you to decide what I deserve,' Rei growled. 'and for good reason. If it were your place to decide my fate for me, I'd end up-'

'happy?!'

'…miserable.'

She scoffed at him. 'More miserable than you make yourself now? What makes you think _I_ would inflict the pain you inflict on yourself?'

'It doesn't matter who inflicts it,' he snapped, 'you, my darling wife, are the reason for it and always have been.'

After that statement which both of them resented but knew to be true, there was little left to say. The battle was done with, or at least postponed for the time being, but like all battles before this one, the air hadn't cleared. The war would continue on.

Firmly gritting her teeth, Mariah backed towards the kitchen door. Gathering her wits together having scattered them amongst the debris and paper which littered the floor, she spoke stiffly back to the aggravated man in the kitchen. 'You are going to fix this. You will see to it that our reputations don't suffer any more than they have. This affair you're having with Kuznetsov-don't interrupt me I don't give a fuck what you say!' she snapped, seeing him open his mouth to retort. He closed his lips again. 'This affair with Kuznetsov will stop now. I no longer give a damn what you do to humiliate yourself, but if it affects me I won't allow it. You will fix this, Rei. You'll put everything back to the way it was, so that we can forget this and pretend it never happened.'

As she disappeared and the door shut behind her, the silence which replaced her was broken briefly by Rei's foot violently throwing a chair on it's side and showering the kitchen with previously broken glass. Trying to release his anger, Rei took a seat beside the article which had begun the confrontation and rested his head on his hand. Never had he meant for this to happen. He had at least hoped to seek out the young girl who had understood him, and loved him once upon a time. He wanted to find her and use her to convince her livid current self to believe his words. She always used to listen to him. The sixteen-year-old he had once loved would have never accused him of lying to her.

What bothered him the most was his wishing her accusations _were_ in fact true. A miniscule part of his mind scolded him for it, but the fact was that he hadn't been lying. He wished he could say that he was having an affair with Bryan. He wished he could be given such luxury. But admittedly, he did also wish that he could forget everything; hit his head exceptionally hard, and wake up with no memory of before, learn to love his wife again and be happy with what he'd been given. Of course he wished for this, but he would never admit this to her. And while his memory was still alive, he could never bring himself to try again. Kuznetsov gave him what she never could, and he knew his mind would not allow the younger man to ever be forgotten. He was what made this all worth it, the very reason Rei didn't take a bat and beat himself until his memory failed. Despite their financially-based relationship being far from what his wife assumed, and what Rei eventually hoped for, Bryan Kuznetsov had become a dangerous addiction.

xXx

For how long the room had been so still, neither Kai nor Tala had any idea. Hours that seemed like days had passed, taking the sun and replacing it with a deep blue glow which shone against the darkness through the window and formed a silhouette of Tala's profile. He motionlessly faced the opposite wall, and Kai sat with his back to Tala, feet so implanted on the wooden floor he felt he'd lose the ability to ever move them again soon. He could feel the light of the moon on his back; the shadow of Tala against him, while the real Tala remained where he was, and had been for such a long time.

Kai rubbed his tired eyes. How long had he gone without proper sleep? The four days had gone so fast, and still the mess in the living room remained untouched, as though somebody had set it out that way on purpose. Kai barely even looked at it anymore, and simply stepped over the residue whenever he headed towards the kitchen. Though he paid for this ignorance with several cuts on his feet, sensitive skin shred and pierced from sharp and reflective glass, now stained red along with the dusty carpet.

But despite his lack of sleep for worry he deemed stupid and scolded himself for, no part of him ever had much of a desire to rest anymore. He thought it unusual, but didn't question it. And this, he concluded, was why he sat in the dark, back to the redhead who unknowingly kept him awake, and wished against all odds that he might move or say something. But he didn't. Tala sat stiff like a waxwork, with arms and legs which hung like a ragdoll. His posture remained impeccable, and his eyes half-lidded, clearly staring at the wall and seeing something else. Kai turned his head to look at him, and sighed as the long eyelashes blinked.

He opened his mouth to speak. His phone interrupted him.

Tala didn't jump like Kai did, nor did he make any sign of getting up. It was enough to bring him out of his reverie though, but still he said nothing. His dull blue eyes glanced up towards the door, and he looked at it as though expecting it to make its way towards him. Those eyes continued to follow Kai as he walked out, glancing back at Tala with a hint of concern distinguishable amongst the palpable look of relief. When he left the room, Tala's eyes dropped to the floor and he turned his face towards the light shining in through the window.

Kai cursed as his unhealed wounds began to sting with every extended step taken towards the kitchen counter. Finally reaching the phone he hadn't touched since he'd set it down after finding Tala's apartment in disarray four days ago, he raised an eyebrow at the number he didn't recognise and flipped it open lazily.

'Kai Hiwatari speaking…'

Tala listened intently to Kai's alluring drawl from the bedroom, where he still sat with his head facing the window, glazed eyes staring at the floor and avoiding the window at all costs.

'Hm…yes…what is this about exactly?' Tala heard Kai say. There was a pause. '…Mizu...?'

Tala looked back at the door. Mizu? What the hell was Mizu? He frowned in concentration as he tried to catch the end of Kai's phone call.

'Yes alright, I will be there. When?...Alright, that's fine. Thursday. I will sir, thankyou for your call.' He ended it in a business-like fashion, flicking the phone shut again and turning the thing off. That would do for now; he didn't think he could be bothered to deal with employees calling to find out where he was. Relatively soon they would begin to get concerned.

Scowling at the call he'd just received, Kai was about to turn towards the bedroom where he could hopefully bring Tala from his stupor, he heard a knock at the door and reluctantly opened it to see the paper at his feet. Without glancing down the hall, he picked it up and closed the door quietly behind him.

**Skin and bone to be the face of fashion?**

Kai's eyebrows slowly raised as his eyes scanned the article below the massive headline. Sure enough, as he had feared, the face that glared back at him through enhanced blue eyes was none other than the face of the once conceited wreck in the other room. Tala's hallow shadows glared at him unpleasantly from the page as Kai slowly tip-toed back to the kitchen counter, where the papers from the previous days had began to form a small heap. Eyebrows furrowed, Kai began to look through them, picking them up one after another and becoming increasingly frantic as he did so. All of them, each and every one; they all pointed towards the current fashion item's weight loss. Even the padded clothes he wore didn't seem to be fooling them anymore; the public were suddenly on board, and Tala could be effectively ruined, both financially and mentally. And for once, Kai considered the option of a client's destruction, and didn't automatically think of himself. He knew one thing, though; Tala was not well enough to see these yet. Perhaps he never again would be.

Cradling the papers in his hand, he glanced around frantically for a few moments before making his way over to the window in a flourish. In one swift movement, he'd wrenched the thing open and flung the papers out into the cold night air. Shutting the window again and stepping gingerly over the curtain rail on the ground, as though he were treading through a crime-scene, Kai let out a breath and made his way back to the bedroom.

Tala greeted him with a suspicious, albeit slightly croaky, tone. 'What the hell's Mizu?'

Kai was baffled. 'What?'

'What was that phone call about?'

'Oh,' Kai sat down on the bed again where Tala had changed position and was now half-sitting, half-lying against the head-board. 'Don't worry about it, something…commercial.' Kai chose his words carefully, slightly relieved when Tala didn't ask again. 'I have to attend a meeting in town on Thursday,' Kai lied through his teeth. 'I believe I'll need to leave early.'

'Will you come back?' Tala asked in a voice which didn't belong to him.

Kai turned back to look him in the eye. 'Of course.'

The pitiful situation wasn't even the worst part; Kai didn't even know if he would be _able_ to keep his promise and come back. But he wouldn't break this to Tala, not yet. He'd wait and see what he could do to exonerate himself first.

He made to flick the light switch on, his eyes suddenly aware of how much darker the room was than the living room he'd just emerged from.

'No.'

Kai stopped in mid-reach. 'What?'

'Don't turn on the light. I don't want you to look at me; I don't want anybody to look…'

'Tala,' Kai's steps made the floorboards creak as he moved back to sit opposite Tala on the bed. He rested a hand on Tala's knee and he felt the bone flinch beneath him. 'you can't let them get to you. They say these things about you because they can't appreciate true art. And by believing them you've given in.'

'Bullshit,' Tala murmured. 'They're all right. This isn't art; this isn't anything. This is hideous,' he indicated towards his face and chest with the boney fingers of his right hand.

Kai said nothing more, rightly assuming there was nothing left to say. His eyes drooped to see Tala in such a state, and he cared not for the lack of fresh air making him soft and weak. Besides, he knew that between the two of them, there was no doubt who the stronger was.

Tala watched Kai sit still in the shadows, shoulders moving ever so slightly with each breath, hand still planted gently on Tala's knee bone. It felt so nice there; it fit so well. And he gently closed his eyes as he thought back to not long ago, when he saw the photograph of this very man in the paper; a hard-ass who looked like he could take on anything. He remembered the smirk Kai's voice had always brought to his features before he'd turned into this tender bag of waste. He now had Kai Hot-Sex-On-Legs Hiwatari seated by him on his bed, and it just seemed such a shame to let it all slide. That man had stopped turning him on the moment he'd shown an act of sensitivity; it was sad but true. Tala was, of course, grateful for him being there, but what he wanted more than anything at that moment was the Kai Hiwatari from the filthy old paper in the parking lot miles away. The urge was suddenly very strong for that gentle hand to move at him forcefully, to remove the clothes from his sallow skin and force Tala to take it like a man.

He opened his eyes. 'Kai,' he was appalled at how feeble his determined voice sounded, 'touch me.'

Kai gave him an odd look. 'You can't be serious'.

'Kai, I swear,' he reached for Kai's wrist before Kai had a chance to move his hand. 'I've never wanted anything so strongly in my life. I beg you, just do this for me.'

'Tala,' the red-head looked at him hopefully. 'I…I can't. I can't do that to you, not now-'

'Listen,' Tala cut him off, roughly pulling him by the wrist until their noses were only inches apart. 'I need this.'

In a state of being rather dismayed at Tala's weak force being enough to drag him across the bed, and confused at being told he could _touch_ but not _look_, Kai could only look rather helplessly into the eyes which were beginning to re-gain their colour, and know that he would not win. His brain was fighting a battle on two fronts, against Tala and his own bodily instincts. He'd have no choice but to surrender this time.

'You…you really want me to?' he asked in utter disbelief, both at Tala and himself.

'We both do.'

Kai stared into the blue lakes which were beginning to freeze again. Maybe he was right; perhaps Kai could revive them both. _'Besides,'_ his thoughts told him as he thought back to those few moments on the stairs, and what had been on his mind before he entered Tala's apartment four days ago. _'you can't deny yourself this.'_

Circulation pumping with the prospect of having the willing red-head, after such a long and painful wait, a fire lit within his eyes as he pulled Tala towards him into a heated embrace. Their lips moved against eachother as he gently pushed Tala back against the pillow, following him all the while and pressing their chests together.

Tala moaned as Kai began listen to his instincts and take charge. He removed his own clothes quickly and pulled Tala's off after him. Bracing himself over the bare frail body beneath him, he traced his fingers over Tala's chest. With every rib his finger passed over, he gave a smile, until his hand sunk as it slid towards the remains of Tala's abdomen. Tala ran his thin fingers through Kai's perfect hair and tried to ignore the shame he felt with knowledge that Kai could see him for what he was. He bit his lip as though Kai's touch was physically painful, burning as it located every bone in his tiny body.

But Kai's mind was on a different track. Enjoying the hands working at his scalp, he bowed his head and began to drag his nose and lips over Tala's chest this time, his hand moving up and down Tala's side, passing over his jutting hip bone.

Suddenly, Tala let out a whimper. 'Don't.'

Kai stopped and looked up. 'Don't what?' he asked gently, reluctant to stop what he'd been doing but anxious that Tala had changed his mind.

'Put my shirt back on, please,' he whispered.

Kai was astounded and shamefully disappointed. 'Come on, Tala, don't make me do that.'

The red-head shook his head and made to get up, but Kai was quicker. Seizing each wrist in his hands, he pushed Tala back against the pillow and straddled him. Tala looked up at him incredulously.

'You can't surely be ashamed of this…' Kai risked letting go of Tala's left wrist and moved his fingers back over the bumps he felt on Tala's chest. 'You think this makes you hideous? Tala, this makes you beautiful.'

'You sound like _them_,' Tala referred to the designers and modelling agencies with quite a bit of disgust, surprising even himself. What did he even believe anymore? Whose side was he on now?

'I don't want you to listen to the public, Tala.' Kai continued to trace the dips and bumps that pushed through the wan skin. 'I don't want you to be what they promote. They don't know what beauty is, but I do. And fat girls parading around in clothes to fit the average person doesn't cover it. I won't let you turn into that.'

Hearing these words disturbed Tala greatly, but nothing disturbed him as much as the fact that he was hearing his own beliefs being told back to him. And on top of that, hearing Kai state them was returning his credence. The one man who could change his mind, and his will had even managed to override Tala's.

Smiling gratefully, Tala seized Kai behind the neck and lunched forward to meet his mouth half-way. Kai followed Tala again as they lay back down, and continued to run his hands up and down Tala's body, and felt Tala's working over his own muscular form. As Kai's practised hands began to move over his thighs, Tala could feel himself harden as his pulse increased and he began to get hot. It had been so long since he'd had something as good as this, and he concluded that had he waited much longer he probably would have perished of deprivation. But at the same time, he looked into Kai's determined glare and remembered his parking-lot fantasy. It was Kai he wanted to see in ecstasy, not himself.

Just as Kai's fingers worked their way up to his erection, Tala found the strength amidst the pleasure surge to sit up slightly and press a hand against Kai's chest, holding him off. Kai looked confused, but Tala simply found his breath and stated 'Switch places.'

Kai raised an eyebrow, but obliged without disobedience. He had never liked being the submissive one, but for this rare occasion he felt he could allow Tala to have his moment. But suddenly his head was thrown back against the pillow and his fingers gripped the edge of the mattress as Tala began without warning. His tongue circled quickly around the tip of Kai's penis while his hand stroked the inside of his thigh. He smirked at Kai's reaction, enjoying pleasuring Kai as much as he would if it were the other way round. His tongue slowed down for a few seconds and then picked up speed again, as he moved his mouth up and down Kai's shaft.

'Ugh, fuck…' Kai's eyes screwed shut and he bit hard on his hand to stop himself from crying out. He couldn't quite get over the shock of what was happening, and he began to regret not having his clients do this to him before. But damn, despite his expectations, Tala was _good_.

When Tala began to run his finger slowly over Kai's hole and gently stroke his testicles, it became a little too much. Tala gave a final suck and Kai bucked as he felt himself release into Tala's mouth. The white liquid dribbled down the red-head's chin as he smiled at knowing he'd achieved his fantasy. And Kai's panting and the beads of sweat on his toned chest plainly showed that he had given the reaction Tala had wanted.

Wiping his face on the back of his hand, Tala gently laid himself down beside the recovering Kai. 'Ball's in your court,' he muttered, wondering how his voice was still sounding damaged and frail after that power-boost.

Kai didn't need telling twice. Rising above Tala again to take the position he'd been in before, he quickly warmed himself up again and positioned himself, still wet from Tala's mouth. Wrapping his arms around Tala's frail body, he gently pushed his way inside. Tala pushed his head back to face the ceiling and smiled, his eyes squinting. Kai couldn't tell if he was hurting him or not, but assumed Tala to be quite well-practised, judging by the treatment he'd just received. Still trying not to be too rough, which was difficult for somebody like Kai Hiwatari, he pushed himself in and out, working up a rhythm with his movements and still tentatively embracing Tala throughout. And Tala in return panted and moaned, moving with Kai and kissing his neck in perfect time. Kai marvelled at the whole experience; something he was so used to, and yet completely different. This didn't feel much like sex; this felt very much like making love. But however bizarre, Kai didn't dislike it. And judging from Tala's reactions, he wasn't too bothered either.

But it wasn't too long before Kai realised he needed to speed up; his body was beginning to get bored. Latching his mouth to Tala's neck, he heard a groan in the red-head's throat as he began to increase the force and speed with every thrust. The groan became longer and released itself from Tala's mouth as he felt Kai's penis continuously hit his prostate. His own erection twitched between their heated bodies as Kai pushed down on him harder, as though trying to make the pale body sink beneath the mattress. It wasn't long before Tala could no longer hold on, and he dug his yellow finger nails into Kai's back as he coated both of their chests in the same fluid which had been previously dripping down his chin. And as he contracted, Kai released too, for a second time. His fluid flooded into Tala and the red-head smiled as Kai ardently kissed him again, still cradling his skeletal body as he withdrew himself from inside Tala.

Kai lifted himself on to his elbows and the two of them glared through their glazed eyes at eachother. Neither of them said a word, just exhaled through their lips as their chests heaved. And finally, Kai lifted himself from Tala and lay down beside him, breathing still heaving but eyes tired, for the first time in four days. He was ready to settle down to sleep.

Tala lay still as Kai wrapped protective arms around his delicate frame, nestling down at his side and burying his nose in the crook of Tala's neck.

xXx

_The wispy strands of ebony twisted around her little fingers, as Lin continued to wait strapped into the car seat, her patience beginning to wane. In an impatient little girl's mind, it seemed like years since her daddy had stepped out of the car, but according to the numbers on the dashboard it had only been ten minutes. In that time, Lin had sat in silence, caught eyes with those who passed her by, counted the red cars that whizzed past, and twirled her beautiful hair in her fingers. Braiding and re-braiding could only be entertaining for so long though, she had figured out. But still she sat obediently where she'd been told to stay, blinking at the curious faces of the people who saw her, and waiting for her daddy to come back down the dark staircase she'd watched him ascend ten minutes before._

_When she began to consider starting on her dreaded homework (seven new words to learn and five structured sentences on what she wanted to be when she grew up), she finally caught sight of her daddy jogging down the steps again and towards the car._

'_Come on, Lin,' he said, his apologetic expression mirrored with no words. 'Looks like this is going to take a little longer than I thought.'_

_And without saying a word of objection, Lin allowed her seat belt to be unbuckled, and took her daddy's hand as they walked back towards the staircase. The little girl gulped at the ominous sight before her. The stairs appeared to round a corner of complete shadow, barely assisted by the filthy yellow light which shone little light over the brick walls and only silhouetted the dead insects that had been stupid enough to fly right into it. Clinging to her daddy's hand tight, she followed his quick pace and tried to avoid staring up at the flickering light, or the remaining insects buzzing about it, and the sprayed black writing on the red brick walls._

_When they reached the top floor, her daddy reached for the handle and opened it, gently pushing Lin inside before him. Her lips pressed tight together, her large eyes scanned the room she'd been pushed into. She was standing in a small hallway, but in the distance she could make out a living room and a couple of other doors. _

'_Yeah, it was a good idea to bring her up. Wouldn't want to leave her alone in a place like this, y'know…' a man had stepped in front of Lin's field of vision. She stared up at him. He was very tall, but he wore a playful smile. She smiled shyly back at him, and they ventured further into the apartment._

_Her daddy and the man sat down at the counter, and she was free to wander around the living room. She wondered, as she slowly walked around the room as though inspecting it, why her daddy was paying her so little attention. He didn't smile at her, or even spare her a second glance after the man had entered the hall. Now they just spoke seriously in the kitchen, and she was left alone. _

_Their mumbling voices fading into the background, Lin decided to have a little adventure. Putting her little finger to her cheek thoughtfully, she decided to try the bedroom with the open door first. Correctly assuming that her father wouldn't notice in the slightest if she wandered off, she smiled to herself and ran for the bedroom door. The first thing she saw when she entered was the unmade bed, but she didn't notice until it was a second too late that there was already somebody else lying on it._

_The man looked up from his book at the little girl, his confusion evident in his expression. Lin stared back at him with equal curiosity, her head tilted slightly to one side. Finally, he put down the book he'd been reading and smiled at her, getting up and stretching out his back. Lin giggled and mimicked his action, before walking from the room with him following._

'_Hey Bry,' he addressed the man talking to Lin's dad. The friendly giant looked over and smiled at them. _

'_Sorry Brook, did she disturb you?'_

'_Not at all,' he shook his head and walked over, Lin following him with fascination. She heard the definite change in his deep smooth tone when he stated 'Kon' by way of greeting with her daddy. _

_And to her confusion, he in turn nodded slightly and muttered 'Kingston'. She concluded the two men must not like eachother, but wasn't nearly old enough to understand the reasons why._

_But suddenly all curiosity left her as something furry passed her by and jumped to the couch. She gasped 'daddy, look!' _

_Her father's eyes flicked quickly in her direction and he offered her a humouring smile, but to his provocation the man he had been talking so intently with rose from his stool and made his way over. He took Lin's hand and led her to the couch, where she sat beside the animal and began to gently stroke it's head._

'_The cat's name is Zeus,' he told her. 'It's Brooklyn's. He has a bird aswell.'_

_The other man chuckled as he made his way back to the bedroom, a glass of water in his hand._

'_Really?' Lin asked in awe, her eyes widening again. She'd always found animals fascinating, but her mother had never allowed a pet in their house. 'He has both?'_

'_Yeah,' the man smiled fondly at the other man's retreating figure 'he's crazy, isn't he?'_

_Lin giggled, but soon the man was dragged away again by her daddy's voice. She frowned at no longer having someone to play with, but continued to stoke the cat contentedly until her father finally came to retrieve her from the sofa. She had waved goodbye cheerfully to the tall man with the lavender hair, and he'd grinned back at her and smiled oddly at her father. Lin took one final moment to wave goodbye to the cat, before the door closed on the two of them and she took her father's hand, facing the awful staircase again._

That had been a mere two hours ago, and now it felt as though the bout of happiness that one cat had brought would never resurface again. Lin sat on top of the stairs, her usual perching place in times like these, and clutched at Drigger while the voices raised themselves again. Louder and louder, until a silence formed.

'Don't you walk away from me!'

And then a crash. And for a little while after, she heard nothing else. Wiping the tear forming in the corner of her left eye on the back of her hand, she stood and slowly retreated to her room. She drew out her writing book from her little school bag, and scribbled seven sentences of a life opposite to the one her parents had; a small house with a cat, and a dog and a bird; only her and her animals. Nobody to yell. Nobody to fight.

xXx

'…-hara, sir, Mizuhara. Renowned lawyer with wimpy employees. So as I was saying, we would like to get this sorted as soon as possible…perfect. Whenever you would like…alright. You're welcome, sir.'

'Well,' Max addressed the man standing at his door as he placed the phone back on it's receiver. 'Seeing as you were all too afraid to do your jobs, I arranged a time with Kai Hiwatari to appear in court.'

'Was…was it really that simple?' his employee asked in disbelief.

Max looked thoughtful for a moment and shrugged. 'I think I caught him at a good time, to be honest. He sounded a little…hurried.'

'We will meet with the girl tomorrow to review. When did you arrange for the court case?'

Max yawned a little behind his hand and shortly said 'Thursday.'

* * *

(A/N): So who remembers the song _Boom Boom_ by the Venga Boys? Well, that's what I was listening to while I wrote this chapter :D –smiles proudly-. Very appropriate and completely necessary, I thought.

Ah, Kai is so twisted I love it! I don't think the lemon was as good this time, so sorry about that. The next one might be better :P But shit, it wasn't actually that short in the end, considering there was basically nothing in comparison to the last chapter. I managed to add on about 3000 words when editing :S

Poor little Lin :(, she breaks my heart. Man, unfortunately for Rei, I totally dig Bryan and Brooklyn as a couple :D But, well, we'll see what happens later...

Sorry about the lateness of this once again. It's because I've decided to re-write all the chapters except the last. Honestly, writing it in advance was a total waste of time, I may as well have written nothing…

Please review!


	5. Give my Life a Horror Rating

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): Yeah I know, an update already! Very impressive, I must say :) especially given my crappy timing lately with updates. But unfortunately I'm heading off to England on the 16th so I guess you'll have to wait until January for the last two chapters…Christ by the time this is done I'll have to instantly pick up on _Do Svidanya_ again :P

Yeahh, only two chapters to go after this! I'm very excited for you though because the ending of this story's awesome XP.

Chapter warning: a mega increase in intensity levels.

We have another small flashback in this chapter, again in _italics_. It's not entirely necessary, it's just the way I wanted to write it.

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print **

Enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 5_

_Give my Life a Horror Rating_

* * *

As though every brick wall had eyes, and every alley cat served as a spy. All of a sudden it seemed paranoia was raising its ugly head. It could have been his imagination, but…he was sure they were watching him. Their restless eyes darted about his person, their obtrusive stares and silences piercing him a hundred times over, condemning him worse than the unforgiving press and eminent critiques he'd once known all too well. Suddenly, it was as though they all recognised him, and openly gawked with their shifty eyes in superfluous wonder.

Perhaps it was a good thing, then, that this would be the last time. At least, it was the last necessary time. The last official time; and the last time anybody else would be aware.

Ignoring the turning heads he could have been imagining, Rei turned into the adjacent empty street and continued to walk, trying not to even look too inconspicuous for fear of being prominent. After seeing what his attempt at being inconspicuous looked like, he had promptly changed his mind about disguises and obviously subtle body language. That did more harm than good, apparently, and according to his ever-loving wife, had been a severe downfall to the both of them.

Rolling his eyes at the unnecessary effort he was putting into strolling down an empty pavement, Rei caught himself and shook his head abruptly. This wasn't the time to dwell on useless accusations and demands; Mariah was at home and he was out of her control circle. She would never know where to look even if she did try to find him. Her stipulations couldn't influence Rei's decision in this matter, and in the rest she would be sure to never know about. One last time, he could sneak away. Something this important essentially required his disobedience, especially after all this time.

Glancing around before he did so, Rei gently pushed open the heavy wooden door to the bar which was supposed to be closed. '_Helps to know people in high places,_' Rei presumed, chuckling to himself at the irony of what really could be considered a 'high place', as he removed his coat and stepped into the warm and rather musky room. No sooner had he taken the first couple of steps, his eyes adjusted to the dim light and the man he had assumed wouldn't be there caught his eye.

Bryan sat at the bar waiting for him, not a trace of anxiety on him as usual, but his early presence gave Rei the impression he was eagerly waiting for something. He seemed to break away from his thoughts when he heard the creaking of the door, and turned his head casually to glance in the direction of his collaborator through the corner of his eye. Rei had to resist the urge to lick his lips; he concluded there should really be a rule concerning how sexy one individual can look so early in the morning.

'You're early,' he smiled, seating himself down on the bar stool beside the one where Bryan sat, still glancing at him and now looking rather impressed with himself.

'I have something for you.' The light within the dim surroundings began to spread as the sun outside rose a little higher in the sky. The golden beams shining through the windows on the other side of the room illuminated Bryan's shimmering hair, like it did when Rei had first approached him, on the very same stool. Rei still looked at him the same way he did then; it hadn't been very long, but no matter how many pre-arranged meetings they could coordinate, Rei felt there would never be a time he could look at that man and not melt into a lilac puddle in his sharp and sincere eyes. As long as he lived he'd never be put off Bryan Kuznetsov, and he knew it. No amount of yelling could ever tear away at Rei's adoration with him. To think that this was what he'd been missing made him want to throw himself off a building; but every time he could get this time with him alone, suicidal tendencies were far from his mind and something silly gave him hope in a situation he should have known was never possible.

Bryan didn't catch Rei's glazing look and far-away expression. He produced from his pocket a small folded bit of what looked like paper, and placed it on the bar in front of the man who still hadn't taken his eyes off him.

Rei saw the flash as the light hit the paper and blinked a little as he came back to the real world. 'What's this?' he murmured, more to himself than to Bryan as he was in the midst of unfolding the small slip.

'That's not all of it,' Bryan stated coolly, as Rei examined the scrawled cheque, quite illegible in Bryan's handwriting save for the number in the amount box. 'It's just a start; we're been saving to be able to start paying you back for all you've provided us with.' He paused for a moment, before remembering to say 'and we're really grateful for it.'

Rei smiled at him again, nodding a thankyou and pocketing the cheque. In some ways, this was somewhat of a sad thing. Bryan was beginning to repay his debt; it would take a while, but before too long he would no longer owe Rei anything. And unless he thought of something else within that time, Rei would lose him. This prospect didn't sit well with Rei at all, but he knew that there was something he too owed Bryan, and though he would forever keep it hugged to his chest like a child if he could, he knew that he'd have to provide Bryan too with what he was hoping for.

'Bryan,' Rei said, his voice full of seriousness but a serene smile on his face. Bryan turned his whole head to face him this time, those eyes penetrating through his skin and bones like fire: warm and wonderful fire. Rei's expression softened as he released one more tie he had with him, preying there could be more in the future with the reward of this one. 'Bryan, I got you the Stroblitz gig.'

Bryan's gaze broke instantly. The fire dissolved into the warm pool of lavender Rei melted into as he looked into his lap, and laughed. Rei had never seen him look like this; no smirk of self-satisfaction or chuckle at a moment of shared humour or mild affection, this was a sign of happiness. He was happy. Bryan Kuznetsov was smiling with his eyes, and laughing. Even at the very first mention of what Rei could do for him and his band, Bryan hadn't blissfully lost his composure to this extent. And this time he wasn't even drunk.

'Ah!' he cried happily, grinning at Rei who found himself beaming in response. 'Ah, my man!' he clapped Rei on the shoulder. 'When is it?'

'They had a cancellation, so I managed to get Blitzkreig in next Wednesday.'

Bryan looked incredibly impressed. 'So soon,' he marvelled. Staring down at Rei as though suddenly seeing him in a whole new light, the piercing eyes made room for admiration as his irresistible lips twitched. 'Wow, you've really pulled through for us…'

'_For you_,' Rei wanted to say, but he remained silent. Tilting his head to the side and smiling with satisfaction, Rei took in that face again, this time in a different way to how it usually looked, and how it usually saw him. Something had clicked, he could have sworn it. He felt a difference in the air, and this selfless release had perhaps opened the doorway to something else, whatever it may be and whenever it may occur. There was a definite conversion; something had changed for the better.

Taking a final brave glance down at Bryan's build and hoping to one day explore what was underneath the layers of clothing, Rei nodded somewhat defiantly to himself and made to rise from the stool. 'Thanks for the payment; I meant what I said about taking your time. And if you should need more I'd be happy to lend it.'

Bryan smirked at him again in his regular fashion. 'I could never repay this debt,' he shook his head disbelievingly; 'I can't thank you enough.'

Rei gripped his coat so as to not reach out and grab him, dancing on the inside at Bryan's words, and how easily he could actually have every debt settled. It needn't be about the money; Rei couldn't care less about receiving payment. What Rei wanted was him, and if not him, then the opportunity to meet with him, the way they had been doing since they were last in that tiny bar. Bryan would never know that his presence was Rei's true reward.

'You don't have to thank me,' he said sincerely, rising from the stool and beginning to turn to leave. 'Just let me know if there's anything else you need.'

He had just turned and began to walk away, when a voice from behind caught his ears and made him smile again. 'I'll see you on Wednesday,' Rei stopped, and there was a pause. 'I mean, you'll be there right?'

Glazed expression beginning to form again, Rei turned his head so he could see Bryan over his shoulder. 'Definitely,' he said plainly. 'I'll see you backstage.'

Setting foot out into the cold morning air, the surroundings faded away as Rei heard the door pull closed behind him. His mind suddenly clouded with the rush of fresh air and a genuine smile tugged at his lips as he walked in what felt like slow motion. This wasn't the smile he planted on his face when he usually walked away from a meeting with the essence of masculinity; the hunger had temporarily been overshadowed with the laughter that had sung in his ears. This wasn't him trying to get to Bryan through silly arrangements and imbursements; this was putting a value to those tainted promises. This was the basis for what he wanted: a selfless act with rewarding results, despite the outcome. And for those few seconds in slow-motion, the outcome didn't really cross Rei's train of thought. It wasn't Bryan's sturdy form and built chest in his mind this time, it was his smile; his laugh.

That smile was in Rei's mind as he reached the curb, gazing dreamily at the other side of the street but not really seeing anything around him. And in this new and unusual state, with Bryan's happiness in his mind, Rei was smiling as he stepped into the road.

xXx

Checking his watch to ensure he was punctual as always, Kai slid into the driver's seat of his sleek silver vehicle and shut the door behind him. Placing the coffee he'd just stopped for in the cup holder, he flicked through the paper he'd picked up preying his name wasn't found anywhere in association with the court case he was on his way to attend.

Starting up the engine, he placed the paper on the passenger seat and when the car was on a quieter road he began to flick the pages over again, ensuring he continuously spared a glance at the road every so often.

About ready to assume there was nothing on the case or anything which could provide him with yet another bad name, he was about to give up the hasty search when a headline caught his eye. Risking taking both eyes from the deserted road ahead for a split second, he glanced down to take a closer look, and scowled.

**Anorexia levels rise with Tala Ivanov's fanbase**

Frowning at the heartless critics and journalists who he was convinced knew nothing of what they spoke of, Kai snatched up the paper and chucked it indignantly over his shoulder. It landed with a thump on the back seat as Kai sped up with a sudden rush of irritation. No criticism or biased assumption written on a client of his had bothered him so much before, but this was a different story altogether. And not too long ago, when Tala could have handled it, the two of them would have scoffed, knowing he would think nothing of it. Jealousy was what it was; Tala may have temporarily forgotten that, but Kai could still see it plainly.

His thoughts travelled to the red-head sat back in the apartment, probably still in bed at this time, though long-since awake. He hadn't wanted Kai to go, and though he'd said nothing of it due to the minute ray of pride which still made itself known, Kai had seen the worry in his eyes of being left alone again. It was the first time since he'd ruined himself at sight of his own reflection, allowed their words to penetrate him and curled up in the bath. Since Kai had found him there, this was his first time out in the open, to meet with the famous Max Mizuhara and experiment with just how much money he could draw out to keep this case closed and in his favour. This wouldn't be difficult in the least, he knew from experience, but he wanted it over with quickly so he could return to Tala, who he knew would be waiting for him, against both of their beliefs and wishes.

He rounded another corner and his foot pushed ever harder down on the accelerator. If there was ever a time to be quick it was now. He needn't stay for the trial if he played his cards right; he didn't even need to look that irksome brat in the face. Ten minutes maximum, he decided, and he would set out again to take the long drive back.

Nodding with satisfaction at his plan, Kai sat back a little and sped up even more. He was in the midst of a self-contented smirk when suddenly something obscured his vision of the end of the block. There was no time for any thought. It was only in front of him for a split second, before-

Slam!

Kai jolted and slammed on the breaks as something heavy flew into the windshield and rolled back onto the road. The car skidded to a halt and Kai began to involuntarily shake, his eyes wide and jaw quivering.

'Fuck!' he cursed, fumbling with the seatbelt and kicking the door open. Without bothering to slam it shut after him, he dashed to the front of his now-severely dented car, where the immobile body of a man was lying on the side of the road.

Skidding to his knees in front of him, Kai's breathing rate dramatically increased as he continued to curse 'fuck, fuck, fuck' under his breath. A realisation suddenly reached him upon catching sight of his scarred and still face, and Kai realised that he had seen this man before. Such an unfortunate reunion to be had, between one who had once been a boy in desperation, and the other a young man who made his life prosper. Cruel irony bit at Kai as he realised who this man was: his client from twelve long years ago. It was Rei Kon.

Not daring to touch him or to even take a step closer, Kai quickly rose in a panic and wildly looked about him. Nothing. No one. Not a single person could be seen on the small street, not a car passed them by. Swallowing hard, Kai charged back to his car, slammed the door behind him, and tugged at his shirt collar as he revved up the engine. Careful to avoid catching sight of the motionless human devastation he'd created, Kai tried to control his shaking hands as he gripped the wheel so tight his knuckles turned white, and sped away from the life he could have saved a second time.

His heart pounded as he sped away, a thousand thoughts and horrendous possibilities flooding his mind, no matter how hard he tried to block them. The court case was suddenly the last thing he need concern himself with. A bad name for whatever he did before would be nothing compared to how they'd react if they heard about _this_. Sure, nobody had been around, but what if there _had_ been someone watching? Someone he hadn't seen when he spun wildly to look? What if they somehow figured out it was him? The result was too much for him to think about, but suddenly he knew what he had to do. There was only one quick temporary way to ensure that he wouldn't be found out and caught, and it was the only thing that crowded his mind in that rarely-felt moment of alarm.

When he finally felt he was a safe distance away from the scene, he pulled over to the side of the road and successfully attempted to calm himself down. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket with still-quivering hands, and dialled the number he never realised he'd learned off by heart. While it rang, he ran his other hand through his hair and massaged his brow and temple with his index and middle fingers.

It rang several times before being picked up on the other end of the line.

'Hello?' Kai heard Tala say, in a voice so vigilant it made him even more nervous. He cleared his throat and tried to sound as though he was in complete control.

'Tala, it's Kai. Listen, meet me outside the apartment in ten minutes and be ready to jump in the car. We have to leave.'

xXx

'I've never been so horny in my entire life!' Bryan announced as soon as he'd stepped over the threshold to his apartment. Rounding the corner he spotted Brooklyn sitting at the small table and casually reading a magazine.

'Well I wouldn't have expected you to be horny for at least a third of your twenty three years,' he responded without looking up.

Bryan grinned, walking slowly over to where his lover sat. Standing right beside him, he saw Brooklyn's eyebrow raise and knew that he was no longer reading. 'Brook, Rei Kon got us the gig.'

Brooklyn's head shot up at that. 'The gig?' he questioned, begging a more accurate depiction of what his lover was speaking. 'Stoblitz?'

Bryan nodded definitely, 'Stroblitz.'

Brooklyn leant over the table slightly, 'Kon got us the Stroblitz gig?' he glanced up at Bryan suspiciously, 'Are you sure?'

Bryan scoffed, 'It's what he's been promising, isn't it?' it was a rhetorical question. 'Anyway,' he sat himself down on the table, swinging his legs around until he was sat cross-legged in front of Brooklyn. 'I thought we could celebrate.'

Brooklyn raised an eyebrow again. 'In here?' he drawled casually.

Bryan looked thoughtful for a few minutes and speculated the large room, before shaking his head. 'No, anybody could just walk in. Let's take it to the bedroom.'

'Bry,' Brooklyn took a stretch while Bryan had a chance to stare and run his tongue over his bottom lip. 'it's very early, even for you.'

'Did I fail to mention how horny I am?' He stood up again and raised both eyebrows by way of demonstrating his point. 'Nothing's stopping me, Brook,' he warned as he got even closer. His crotch was now alluringly close to the side of Brooklyn's face. 'I'll lift you over my shoulder and carry you in there, if I have to.'

Brooklyn looked up at him and scoffed, 'you couldn't lift me.'

'I can lift Garland,' Bryan claimed triumphantly.

Brooklyn looked thoughtful. '…Really?'

'…well, no. He wouldn't let me try. Bu-'

'Besides,' Brooklyn cut him off in his voice dripping with smoothness, as he slowly rose from the chair and closed the proximity between them even more. 'I never said you'd _have_ to lift me…though you can give it a go, having said that.'

Bryan smirked in a combination of yearning and satisfaction. Glaring seductively down at Brooklyn the way a certain other wished he would look at him, Bryan slowly ran his tongue over his top set of teeth and gave him that 'come hither' look much dreamt about. 'You're up for it?'

Brooklyn gave much the same look accompanied by a daring grin, accentuating his already excessive eccentricity. 'I'm always up for you,' he purred smoothly, and took a lunge at Bryan, shoving him into the wall with a thud and pushing his body up against him. Plunging his tongue into Brooklyn's willing mouth, Bryan slowly tried to make his way to the bedroom with their chests and lips still attached. Stepping slowly, and having to hold the wall a couple of times to know they were going in the right direction, Bryan lead his lover through the open door and they threw themselves down on the bed, still in heated lip-lock.

For a while they did nothing other than rub against eachother and freely roam their hands underneath their clothes. After tearing their own shirts off they were in the midst of undressing completely when Brooklyn pulled back a little. 'I just heard something, I think we should close the door…'

'Why?' Bryan mumbled between impassioned kisses.

'I'm…' Brooklyn paused as his tongue engaged in battle with Bryans for a few more seconds. '…worried Zeus will come in.'

Bryan drew back and sighed, 'you and that cat, I swear I'm going to get jealous soon.'

Brooklyn chuckled, 'he shouldn't have to see this. Just close the door, you're closest.'

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, Bryan lifted himself from his position over Brooklyn and leaned out to close the door. He was inches from the handle when the source of the noise Brooklyn had heard became clear. 'I'm back!'

Bryan stopped in mid-reach and began to lean back again, waving his hand casually. 'Ah fuck it, it's only Garland.'

The left corner of Brooklyn's lips twitched, 'close it anyway, we don't want him threatening to have us evicted again.'

Bryan rolled his eyes and leaned out, pushing the door closed. From the kitchen a voice called out 'thankyou!'

In that time Brooklyn had sat up on the bed again and removed the rest of his clothes. Wasting no time, Bryan carelessly threw his off aswell and flattened Brooklyn back against the bed, straddling his lover as the red-head propped himself up on his elbows. Bryan expertly moved his hands over Brooklyn's body; one he knew so well but never tired of exploring it. He could feel himself beginning to harden already, as Brooklyn reached up to roughly cling to his back and squeeze his thigh. With Brooklyn's elevation Bryan had room to reach his own strong hand down his lovers back and forcefully grope him in a similar fashion.

It wasn't long before Brooklyn's arms became tired of holding him up and he fell back to the bed, Bryan following him to press themselves together again. Brooklyn lifted his knees and planted his feet on the bed for better access, but Bryan did nothing yet. Feeling Brooklyn's growing erection against his, Bryan slowly began to move, tongue still in Brooklyn's mouth and hands still hungrily roaming his pale skin and the built resilient body beneath. Brooklyn raised an eyebrow at the suspense Bryan was building, but lay back to enjoy the sensation regardless.

After a few moments Bryan became impatient and began to pick up the pace. Brooklyn allowed a moan to escape as his lover's brow furrowed in intensity. The friction was becoming too much to bear, combined with the groping and the heated embracing.

Brooklyn thrust his hips impulsively and pulled Bryan's head away from him by the hair. 'Fucking get on with it, before I explode.'

Bryan smirked dangerously and pulled himself back on to his hands and knees, leering over Brooklyn without actually making contact. 'Sit up,' he ordered. Brooklyn obliged. Bryan moved to put his weight on his knees alone to give Brooklyn room to move.

Once he was upright, Bryan advanced again, straddling Brooklyn's lap and violently fusing their lips together again. Brooklyn reached down again to squeeze the firm thighs and buttocks of his sturdy man, smirking to himself against Bryan's mouth.

The smirk grew bigger when, without warning, Bryan made a lunge with his right hand for Brooklyn's erection. Pumping furiously, Bryan was evidently not one to take his time. Brooklyn could feel himself getting hot and allowed another raucous moan to escape his throat as his hips began to thrust again, this time into Bryan's hand. Just before Brooklyn was ready to release, Bryan let go and drew himself back again.

Brooklyn glared up at him. 'You bastard.'

Bryan smirked knowingly, 'I was just preparing you. You have a lot of ground to cover; I'll have you exhausted by the time you're done with me.'

Catching on, Brooklyn raised an eyebrow. 'I thought you didn't play submissive.'

Bryan hovered over Brooklyn again, his hole gently pressing against the tip of Brooklyn's shaft while his own erection stroked the bare toned stomach. 'Well I just have the undeniably ardent urge to have _you_ inside _me_ this time,' he explained in a blasé manner. Brooklyn's penis twitched a little at the anticipation, its tip running over the surface of un-trodden ground.

Brooklyn leant back a little to prop himself up on his elbows again, opening his knees wider as Bryan slid in between them. He looked down at Brooklyn. 'Ready for this?'

Brooklyn looked slightly sceptical. 'You don't want to-'

'No,' Bryan cut him off. 'Nothing, just take me like this. No preparation, no slowly building it up. Just dig deep into me, baby.'

Brooklyn didn't need to be told twice. Shifting a little against the tousled sheets and preparing himself, Brooklyn suddenly let out a moaning growl as he felt Bryan sink over him, his erection pushing into Bryan's heated entrance while Bryan's twitched between them against Brooklyn's abdomen. Sitting up a little further, Brooklyn opened his knees wider and used the leverage he had from having his feet planted on the bed to fuck up into Bryan.

Beads of sweat began to form on Bryan's chest and forehead from a combination of friction, tension and attempting not to explode with Brooklyn's first thrust. Panting heavily, he began to move quickly in time with Brooklyn's rhythm, embracing the pain of every thrust Brooklyn made until he dug so deep the tip of his penis hit Bryan's prostate.

The two of them glared into eachother's glazed eyes as the sweat from their foreheads stuck strands of their hair to their faces. It felt as though the steam of their heavy breaths would soon rise between them into the air, as the condensation formed on the window on the opposite wall. Their chests pushed together and separated with every thrust, trapping Bryan's solid cock between them as it leaked white droplets which ran down their bodies, dripping down to the crack of Brooklyn's buttocks and staining the already drenched sheets beneath them.

Seizing it in his hands, Bryan vigorously pumped at himself, clenching his teeth in concentration and knowing he couldn't hold on for much longer. Brooklyn increased his speed as Bryan intentionally clenched around him and after a few more fervent seconds both reached their climax simultaneously. Bryan let out a roar as he felt himself spill out over Brooklyn, who bucked and threw his head back as he too released into Bryan. With their final cry of pleasure they felt all their energy leave them, as a screech of brakes could be heard from the next street.

Sitting back in Brooklyn's lap, the two rested their foreheads against eachother as Bryan gripped his lover around the waist. Brooklyn still rested himself against his weakening arms and his knees collapsed to the bed with exhaustion. Bryan too could barely muster the strength to keep himself up and the two fell back on the pillows for a few moments of gawking and heavy breathing.

'Bry,' Brooklyn panted after the short silence which followed the strident expressions of ecstasy. 'we're alternating from now on.'

Bryan chuckled and turned his head to look at Brooklyn. 'Alright, but it's my turn after Stroblitz. Start preparing for that now, baby. Oh, and prepare to be evicted too.'

The two of them grinned at the ceiling for a bit at the prospect of their dream coming true; the break through they needed to receive the fame they never could have otherwise obtained. The name they could make for themselves was almost unbelievable, and the sex they could have to elevate it would be _unreal_.

Brooklyn sat up. 'Do you hear that?'

Bryan followed suit and listened carefully, picking up on the commotion which sounded not too far away. The two of them walked to the open window, where they could hear the mass of voices clearer but could see nothing behind the sky scrapers that lined the road across from them. 'I wonder what's going on…'

Brooklyn shrugged. 'I'm sure we'll know soon enough. Hey, up for seeing how high we can both lift Garland?'

Closing the window and blocking out the furore from the next street, Bryan smirked and let out a chuckle. 'Let's get some clothes on first…'

xXx

She was sitting alone in the kitchen that evening when the phone rang. She rested an elbow on the expensive table and chewed at her fingernails to stop herself from downing all the red wine in the house. Her gaze had been fixed on nothing in particular, and despite her best efforts her mind had not ceased to work of it's own accord. She had worried herself enough before the phone rang, for reasons completely different to what they were afterwards. It was concern for a different person after the call, no longer for her lonely disposition.

One and a half rings sounded through the haunting silence, and she took up the receiver as though it were another glass.

'Are you Mrs. Kon?' they asked her. 'What is your relation to Mr. Rei Kon?'

Widening her eyes and trying to keep her quaking voice under control, she gulped and croaked out 'I'm his wife.'

The official tone of a voice she didn't recognise scared her. The prospect of somebody else calling on her husband's behalf scared her even more. Her mind had wandered far enough before; it could never have prepared her for what she was about to hear.

'Mrs. Kon, your husband was found a couple of hours ago, having clearly been hit by a speeding vehicle. The paramedics are doing their best, but we regret to inform you that we don't know if your husband will make it. We-'

Mariah stopped listening there. Her eyes the size of saucers, gaping straight ahead of her in despair, she let the phone slip from her hands and it smashed to the floor, cutting off the woman in mid-sentence. In the blink of an eye, she was alone and in unforgiving silence once more. Left to replay the hostile voice over and over again in her ears, and consider the possibility that she may never have the chance to say a last word to her husband that wasn't something stupid about pretending something that didn't matter never happened.

xXx

_Kai couldn't help but sigh a little with relief at the sight of Tala waiting for him. Having not even left the bedroom for days now, his venturing outside after not even allowing the curtains open for fear the world would see him was very admirable in Kai's opinion. He smiled lightly at the layers Tala had piled on over his boney body to keep him warm, and the effort he'd made to put his hair back the way it was before. In fact, despite his air of anxiety, Kai had to admit he looked pretty damn good._

_He pulled up quickly to the curb and Tala slid into the passenger's side. Kai put his foot down on the accelerator and, for how long they didn't yet know, Tala and Kai abandoned the once well-kept apartment. The red wine stain could never be washed out now, but all else would have to hold on until they returned. Should someone break in, they'd think the job had been done for them. Should people venture in there having noticed the two of them were gone, they would assume a form of kidnapping had taken place. Perhaps their lack of order in the apartment had been a good thing after all. Perhaps those who attempted to break in during their absence would slit their feet on the shards of glass and trip over the curtain rail which still lay on the floor. Surely they wouldn't believe a 'perfect' role-model such as Tala Ivanov could have a mental breakdown and smash up half of his apartment? No, nobody would ever know. _

_After a few minutes, Tala finally spoke. And even amidst all the considerations and the endless spiralling pathways of dread in his mind, Kai was relieved to hear that Tala was beginning to sound like his old self again. In a soft but casual voice, Tala asked as he jadedly stared through the window into the wing mirror 'where are we going?' _

_Kai glanced at him for a second, before turning back to face the road and answering 'I'm not sure…somewhere beyond the town. Somewhere they wouldn't think to look.'_

_Without even bothering to ask why they would ever consider looking, why there were cracks protruding from the glass in the windscreen, or what Kai had done to ensure that they suddenly had to take off, Tala nodded in acknowledgement and sat a little further down in the comfortable leather seat. Both of those questions were ones which could easily be answered later; there was no need to bother Kai with them now. Tala didn't even care much anyway; what mattered to him was the fact that Kai had taken him into consideration, and even at what seemed to be the worst of times, hadn't torn away by himself and left Tala with no knowledge of where he was. He had taken Tala with him, a man so selfish as to abandon most of his clients _without_ just cause, nevermind with. And so in return, Tala concluded, he would sit back and let Kai drive, and put aside the curiosity he would have once expressed without hesitation. At this point, it was the least he could do._

xXx

Not since that morning had she watched him take his leave; stealthily slinking down the front path like a panther in the city streets at dawn. It basically _had_ been at dawn aswell. Her father, ever vigilant, had stolen away. But she knew he would be coming back; daddy always came back. And he had with him no suit case, only his wallet which he'd tucked away as he left the house. With nothing else, where could he possibly have been going?

Her head had tipped to the side as she'd watched him, and he would never know she was there. Holding the silky curtain in front of her right eye, half-hidden should he turn around, Lin had seen her father walk out. Walk out to later return, she had thought. But that was early in the morning, and it was now long past her bedtime. Her daddy had failed to come back this time.

A constant thought still swept her mind, as she stood at the window for the hundredth time in hopes of catching sight of the headlights. The thought of what had happened not too long ago; an adventure still fresh in her memory, and a secret she had sworn to keep. But this thought kept resurfacing for a reason, she felt, and nobody had ever mentioned danger. Should worry find it's way into the little girl, nobody had told her whether the secret remained valid. He had been brief and only thought of himself. But this, Lin knew deep down, wasn't far out of the ordinary. He'd put her into a state she didn't want to be in; a place where she could be more involved than she knew.

But nobody had mentioned what to say if asked. Nobody had told her if the adventure still should be suppressed in rescue.

How important, she didn't know. All she knew was that the sky was black, the front path still lit, but nothing creeping its way down. Mummy was downstairs. She hadn't been happy with daddy leaving, but hadn't woken early enough to stop him. Lin had watched her mother clench her fist, bite her nails, desperately wipe the tears away and make her daughter swear daddy was leaving with absolutely nothing else. Her mummy clearly feared the same thing Lin did. But all of that was _before_ the phone call came. Lin didn't know what the people on the phone had said, but whatever it was her mummy had dropped something, turned a whiter shade of pale and sent Lin to her room. She was so sure the call had something to do with her daddy, but when her mummy wouldn't tell her what she'd heard, Lin had been forced to wallow in her own anxiety. Would this secret be of any help at all? She wasn't sure, and at first was very reluctant to find out. But her mother's ashen face came into view, and little Lin knew the best thing would be to tell. Betray him, just this once, in order to perhaps bring him back.

She let the curtain go, placed Drigger on the bed, and bit her bottom lip as she went down the stairs.

'Mummy?' she whispered, barely audible as she crept into the kitchen. She felt her bare feet peel with every step on the cold marble, but kept her large eyes on her mother's frame.

Mariah lifted her head sharply with her daughter's entrance, but sunk a little when she realised who was at the door. She was sitting at the table, any remnants of the article featuring her husband 'sneaking around' long out of sight. Beside her was the phone she'd almost shattered on impact after it had fallen from her shaking hand. Her legs lazily crossed and her elbow resting on the table, her head against one hand, she carelessly held a half-empty glass of wine between the thumb and index finger of her other. She gazed down at her little daughter through half-lidded golden amber eyes, knowing she was waiting for her father to come home. Not knowing, at least not yet, that daddy might never walk through those red doors again.

'Mummy, I need to tell you something…' Lin sidled up towards her shyly, knowing she'd be in trouble for keeping this in for so long; knowing she would eventually be in trouble for letting it go. It was a lose-lose situation but she thought it was for the best. Something he would surely do, she thought, for the good of someone else.

Mariah turned her gaze back towards the window, chin now rested on her hand as she said in a voice which didn't match her panic, 'what is it, darling?'

'One day daddy drove somewhere I had never been before,' she began, as though reciting a fairytale. 'The buildings were dark and the streets were dirty, and the people stared from outside the car. We went inside to see this man, and there were two of them, and daddy spoke to one for ages and I played with the cat…'

She continued to talk, and the more she said, the more Mariah seemed to be waking up. Her head slowly moved from her hand with every word, her eyes widening and breathing becoming heavier, as word by word, Lin and Rei's secret was revealed.

'…and when we got home, daddy…daddy told me not to tell you. He said you wouldn't be happy with him, and I didn't want that, because you always yell at eachother and I just wanted to-'

'To keep him safe…' Mariah finished robotically, staring into space and trying to piece it all together. Lin fell silent and looked to the floor. Mariah wished more than anything that she could find the will to comfort her. But her mind had begun to race, and the cogs in her brain were spilling almost beyond control. Lin would have to wait a little while; this fear and rage was overbearing. Through his own fault, there was nothing left to keep him safe now, especially not a little girl's silly promise.

'Thankyou, Lin.' She finally spoke, in the same controlled robotic tone she didn't usually use. 'Go to your room…please…' her voice trailed with every word she spoke, but her daughter didn't need to be told twice. Looking at the floor, Lin bit her lip again and walked silently from the room, ensuring she closed the door gently behind her.

No sooner had she walked away, Mariah was on her feet. She didn't need to be told names, and was sure Lin hadn't known them anyway. She was certain; how could she be wrong? Who else could it possibly have been? Rage shot through her like a speeding bullet, spurred on by the fear and devastation that had somehow merged together. Rage directed at them, and him, rage at herself for knowing she could have done more, and rage for the man who had defied her and stepped out that morning. His dealings with that man, whatever the hell they had been, had truly destroyed them all. A friendship, an affair, a debt; she couldn't pin-point what their connection was anymore. But Kuznetsov had done this, she knew that much. He had taken her honest husband and used him up, drained him of his family and finally taken him. It was him who'd done it. Mariah needn't draw any further conclusions: she knew who she was after. She knew who'd taken her husband.

The shaking hand reappearing, she reached with it to seize the phone. Pacing the kitchen again, she swallowed hard as she dialled the number. It wouldn't be long, she hoped, before she'd bring him down.

'Operator,' she stated brusquely, when the voice was heard on the line after the second ring. 'Get me the police, please.'

* * *

(A/N): IT'S SNOWING! Hahah, sorry, I just had like a heart-attack of happiness :D

Oh my god it's shorter than the last one…this was like the second longest chapter before I started re-writing them! I still think the next one will be the shortest…but then again I've surprised myself in the past so it could end up the longest :P

Heheh… -meek smile- I had so much fun writing Bryan and Brooklyn's part C: I hate writing lemons, but it's so much more fun when the characters are crazy XD And I seriously _had_ to put a BryBook scene in this story. But still, it was there, at that moment specifically, for a very definite purpose, besides the fact that I think we all wanted it.

By the way, you have another surprise from me heading your way tomorrow. It's not an update of this story, but I'll say no more :).

Please review!


	6. There's no Time for Love

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): Sorry about the wait you've had; I've been bogged down since I got back but finally dragged my creativity out from where it was hiding behind the couch.

Now, let's get on to this chapter…it's by a mile the shortest one, sorry!

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print **

Enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 6_

_There's no Time for Love_

* * *

Since that memorable Tuesday evening it seemed as though nothing had been touched. The counter tops appeared dust-ridden from the eye-level the little girl could see the surface, the little flecks sat atop the marble in small clumps beside the bowl and box of cereal her mother had left for her, and the empty mug which sat beside it.

Taking the chair in a routine she'd become accustomed to over the past few days, Lin scraped the metal over the tiled floor and stood on the seat to reach her breakfast, and what would most likely satisfy her for lunch and dinner. Instead of taking her bowl back to the kitchen table, she perched herself on the edge of the counter top and swung her legs back and fourth, simply because she had the chance to now. The sound of her feet hitting the wooden cupboard doors echoed through the airy room, and Lin chomped at her cereal in silence, as though there were somebody around to disturb.

Mariah was always gone by the time Lin woke up. It hadn't always been this way, just the last couple of days. This new investigation her mummy needed to sort seemed to take up nearly all of her time. Ever since Tuesday, Lin had been awoken by the rays of light shining though her curtains in the morning. She hadn't been taken to school because the housekeeper was taking a vacation to visit family somewhere. Lin was so _sure_ that her mother had known that there would be nobody around…and yet, how would Mariah have any way of knowing that her daughter hadn't been making it into school? By the time she returned, Lin was usually tucked away in her bed. The school couldn't call because nobody would answer, and Mariah's cell phone had blocked almost every caller, saving it for something assumed to be important. Lin knew this from experience.

She didn't think her mummy noticed that the house was no longer clean, or that she was placing the breakfast bowl far out of her daughter's reach. But then again, her mummy didn't think that _she_ noticed the shoes sloppily kicked against the wall, or the glass bottles stashed in the cabinet with a contents fast diminishing.

The only time she ever did see Mariah was the odd time where her mother would arrive home early before setting out again, to absently kiss her daughter on the head and gaze gormlessly out through the study doors as though expecting somebody to march right through them. Increasingly enlarging rings beneath her reddening eyes, Mariah would walk the house in slippers and sweatpants, a clean t-shirt which she'd forgotten she owned covering her wan skin. She would throw away the morning paper before even taking a glance at it and try to block out that part of her mind which told her she was becoming the woman she hoped she would never be.

Lin knew this well; it wasn't her mother's style and elegance. It wasn't her mother at all. This was someone who had taken her mother and torn her apart; made her fervent with worry and addicted to activity. Whatever it was she did when she left her happy home first thing in the morning, it was all that ever haunted her mind. Since Tuesday…

And even worse than her mother taking a complete transformation; her father had yet to return home at all.

She knew nothing. She didn't even know if her mummy knew anything, but if she did then Lin was being kept in the dark. She knew it wasn't fair, but she couldn't throw a fit over it, stamp down her little feet and demand a reason for this distraught behaviour; who was ever there to listen? She was just a little girl on a counter-top, eating her cereal quietly, like the good girl she'd been for the past few days. And when her mummy returned to normal, she wanted a new toy or colouring set for being so good. She'd already picked out the one she wanted; the beautiful pack of twenty different pencil crayons with colours ranging from magenta to turquoise. And when daddy came back, he would buy her a real cat: a real drigger. And mummy would be so pleased to have daddy back, they would never have another fight again. And the three of them would finally live in the paradise which had already been assumed for them.

That, at least, was her plan.

xXx

Though there were at least four walls between the four of them, and the masses of people on the other side, the noises coming from their multitude was near deafening. A strange sensation rarely felt was turning over in Brooklyn's stomach, making him rather uncomfortable but he couldn't deny the excitement. They were out there waiting for him. He, Bryan and the other two who all sat with him presently, waiting with baited breath for the moment they would be called out. This time of lingering was slowly eating away at him, and he could see it on the rest of their faces too. This was it, wasn't it. This was the time they had been waiting for, and what they almost never thought would come.

Bryan was sat on a spare amplifier, his elbows rested on his thighs and head in his hands. He kept running them through his hair and taking in heavy breaths. Brooklyn smiled lightly at him, but Bryan couldn't see it.

It seemed the noises were getting even louder, if physically possible. Garland stared out through the door with the great wonder they were all feeling at that moment; the wonder of how mere human voices could carry so far, and how many people could possibly be out there, waiting for them. It was the weirdest experience he'd ever felt, but Brooklyn was certain it wouldn't be the last time. Soon enough, this would all be familiar to him; he would no longer feel this burning anxiety and he would no longer fear the anticipated voices from the midst of the stadium.

None of them said a word. Crew members walked in and out, some carrying clipboards and wearing pencils behind their ears, some with unidentified wires coiled around their belts. None of them spared a word to any of the band members, save for Garland, and in turn none of them even said anything to eachother. The nerves had taken them over. The prospect of sitting and standing in that giant black room, filled with equipment and people constantly rushing through the large open doors. The nerves had reached them all. But it didn't matter, because this was what they had been waiting for.

Stroblitz; it had finally arrived. Brooklyn smiled slightly to himself as he fiddled with the strings on his bass. He wanted to play, but they would probably hear him, and he didn't much want to risk hearing loss before the gig even started. There would be plenty of time to become tone-deaf once they were actually on the stage, in front of them all. He could almost picture them all now, reaching three times the volume they were at now…such a step up from the bar and small venue gigs they were used to.

He wanted to sit beside Bryan. He wanted Bryan to slip his tongue into Brooklyn's mouth and give him something to look forward to after this milestone in their career. But Bryan was looking increasingly antsy by the minute, constantly checking the clock on the far wall and asking a couple of different people if the time on it was accurate. It was such strange behaviour Brooklyn gazed at him for a few minutes, observing what was almost too strange to simply be nerves. Nobody else was looking so frantic. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever seen Garland look so relaxed. His wife had finally joined them, and Brooklyn blinked sadly at the way they spoke. But his mind told him it was stupid to be irritated; Bryan was just nervous. But so was he, and he was fast learning that suspicion rose very quickly out of anxiety.

Suddenly there was a loud and sharp bang on the door, followed by two or three more. Bryan almost jumped and hurriedly made his way over. He looked almost _too_ relieved. 'Finally, he's here…'

Brooklyn looked suspiciously over his shoulder, 'who's here?' He was ignored.

It evidently wasn't the person Bryan had been expecting. Having turned away, his lover's small exclamation of confusion was heard as the sound of footsteps entered the room. The noise from the audience could still be heard, still growing with every minute that had gone by.

Brooklyn turned around at the stern and gruff voice. 'Bryan Kuznetsov?'

Bryan just looked confused. 'Yeah, that's me…'

The man in the black uniform with the badge nodded at three other men who'd walked in after him. Obeying his silent instruction, the men proceeded towards Bryan, taking his arms and beginning to roughly yank him towards the open doors. 'Mr Kuznetsov, you're under arrest for the suspicion of attempted murder.'

'What?!'

'Woah, hold on a second!' Garland was there in a flash, standing before the door and addressing the officer who'd walked in first. All the crew members and Garland's wife had abruptly stopped moving, all gaping at the scene before them, quite unable to believe it. 'You can't just arrest him, he hasn't done anything!'

'Sir, after a week of investigations on this murder case, he has proven to be the only possible suspect. He's coming with us, I'm afraid.'

'Who claimed him a suspect?' Garland was positively outraged now. Bryan was faring no better. He fought against the arms holding him still, but for once found his strength almost completely powerless against them.

'That, sir, is confidential I'm afraid,' he stated, not sounding 'afraid' in the slightest. He nodded again at his officers and marched out. The others began to follow, all but dragging their accused with them.

'Get your fucking hands off me, I haven't fucking done anything!' Bryan tried, but they were having none of his protests. He fought desperately but the grip wouldn't let up. As he reached the large black exit, he wrenched one hand free and gripped the side of the door frame. The desperate attempt to free himself was despairing, and Brooklyn could no longer take it.

'Bryan!' he cried out, launching himself at the door and seizing Bryan's wrist in his hand. Bryan spared him one last helpless glance as Brooklyn felt a strong hand against his chest, and a force which sent him flying backwards. Before he could make another attempt, Garland's restraining arm was around his waist, and Bryan let out one more yell of protest, before being dragged away from view until his voice could no longer be heard above the crowds consistent cries.

Despite the noise, for a few moments everything seemed to fall into absolute silence, as though somebody had flipped a mute button, simply turning all sound off for those few seconds. Brooklyn stopped struggling against Garland's grip, and felt himself being released. He didn't move for a minute, only stared ahead at the black floor by the doorway his lover had just forcedly retreated through. His mind wouldn't work; he couldn't get it to think straight. He had no choice but to stay silent and unmoving, while it seemed everybody else had fallen into an abrupt state of panic.

'We have to arrange a discreet escape,' he could faintly hear Garland say in a business-like fashion to somebody he couldn't see. 'there's a huge mistake in progress and we need to find out the cause of it.'

'Mate, you're supposed to be on in two minutes. We can't send every audience member away and refund all of their money. You'll have to go on anyway.'

Brooklyn's head snapped up and he glared dangerously at the man his bandmate was addressing. Fortunately, Garland's train of thought was on the same track as Brooklyn's, and he leant forward slowly until his face was only inches away from the other man's. His eyes held a stern glare almost as ardent as Brooklyn's as he stated in a clear voice, 'Not. without. Bryan.'

The mention of his name triggered something in Brooklyn. So silent he could have gone unnoticed, he stepped slowly through the doors and wandered, seemingly without destination, through the halls. Nobody followed him. Had he rushed off in a blind rage, somebody might have, but he seemed calm. For now. He could feel the rage building, but it wasn't here yet. The situation had yet to completely filter through. This sudden turn of events which was far beyond his understanding wasn't quite unravelling in the depths of his mind. It would take a few more minutes.

Opening the black painted door and stepping into the bathroom, Brooklyn barely considered his relief that it was empty. It didn't really matter to him anyway; empty or not, anybody else would have fled sooner or later. The room was filthy and had a repugnant smell, but then again, you wouldn't expect it to smell of roses. The black floor was painted like the rest of the building but the tiles on the wall were beginning to turn a deep shade of mossy green. The sinks had obtained stains of the most unusual colours, and the mirrors were spray painted to the point of being almost opaque.

Hearing distant voices, Brooklyn's mind suddenly kicked into gear and he walked towards the tiny dust-ridden window. Knowing they would never see him through the film of dirt, he peered though the cobwebs at the bastards forcing his Bryan into the backseat of their car. Bryan was evidently still putting up a lot of resistance, and evidently, it still failed to be successful. A second later, the door was being slammed, and the officers were catching their breaths.

At first, he merely saw her out of the corner of his eye, but that unnatural hair colour was enough to catch anybody's attention. He watched her watching the officers from a good few paces away, and narrowed his eyes as the realisation dawned on him. He knew who this woman was; _everybody_ knew who this woman was. But there she stood, and Brooklyn wondered why it hadn't occurred to him before. He had always known it was stupid to trust that Kon, but Bryan had never listened to him. Bryan was now shoved into a car, under arrest before the gig they'd just had handed to them one day. And low and behold, there was Kon's wife…watching. And then, Brooklyn caught it. Even through the layers of dust there was no doubt about it; all the evidence he would ever need.

She _smirked_. A twisted smirk of sick satisfaction which Brooklyn would have imprinted into his brain for the rest of his life.

The minutes were over. As she ducked into her own car and followed the officers, Brooklyn almost felt himself snap. Unbelievable fury searing through him, strength he never could have imagined took control. Gripping the stained marble until his knuckles turned white, Brooklyn wrenched the entire basin from the wall, smashing it to the ground with a deafening smash. Water burst through the pipe torn open and sprayed the floor which had probably never been properly cleaned. Letting out a roar of blind rage, his voice drowned out the noise his fist made when it met the coated mirror. Blood trickled down his trembling fingers from his slit knuckles, but he didn't even notice it. Shaking, he sank back against the wall and glared at the damage he had done. His eyes narrowed and his mouth widened, as though he was going to spit. But instead, he broke down completely, his teeth clenched tightly together as his fingernails indented his palms. Glaring through the red, Brooklyn wept against his anger, for his loss of something so much more important to him than one stupid gig.

xXx

Coughing from the deepest of her throat, she didn't even bother to raise a hand to prevent the spread of whatever it was she had. She'd had it for ages now, and it wasn't going anywhere; there was no danger of anybody else catching it. The virus, it seemed, was stuck with her.

She could see the small black clump sticking half of the lashes on her right eye together, but thought nothing of it as she cleared her throat. Rubbing her tongue along the roof of her mouth, Ming-Ming caught a glimpse of her reflection on the outside of the grease-stained steel cooker and stared hard into her own brown eyes. The upper lids fell over them as though the thick mascara was too heavy, and the lower drooped into her scaling cheeks, the lines barely hidden beneath her half-assed attempt at remedy with her cheap concealer.

She smoothed over her cherry-painted lips with a greasy finger and wondered how long she had been so tired. Working two jobs was exhausting in itself, but the night work she did in particular would be enough to tire anybody out. Beneath her yellow uniform mini-dress and apron, the leather thong she wore rode up and the torn fish-net tights began to itch. She often had to be very careful around her day-job not to slip in her heels on the grease which coated the floor. Even in the dingy café which remained empty for the most part, she had to take care not to fall into a daze. She couldn't catch up on all the sleep that she missed from her feeble excuse for a life recently.

Staring forlornly through her lashes at the caked reflection reminded her of the days not too long ago when a beautiful and contented girl would be smiling back at her. This whore with smudged eyeliner and untamed hair wasn't the same person anymore. Life had cracked down sharply, and she suddenly wished she had listened to her parents in the first place. To think of where she could be now…working hard to do something worthwhile, not yet having to worry about obtaining enough money to remain at the local motel for the three hours a night she spent sleeping. She could be working towards something, with the financial support she needed.

But her parents didn't care. Nothing had been said of their daughter for weeks, and what had they done? They threw her out; it wasn't their problem anymore. She wasn't their problem.

A tear almost threatened to leave the drooping chestnut eye, but somehow it never got that far. She was supposed to achieve greater things. She had been talented, and used up completely. Drained of everything she'd gained so fast. And now she had to endure reading and hearing about the rise of all the other celebrities who took her place. Mystel and her other rivals soared on while she served up coffee, and tried to stay awake and not wonder why she was alive again.

It was because of him. Kai Hiwatari; the reason for everything. He brought everything good and snatched it away, replacing it with a life nobody would ever ask for. And he _had_ brought it about, she knew it. Who else could have made her emotionally able to cope with her night-time job? As far as Ming-Ming was concerned, nothing could ever be worse than the treatment he gave her, and so she no longer saw much shame in parading the street corners at night, freezing and half-numb while waiting for her regular takers. They were always nicer than he had been, anyway.

It plagued her mind often in the many hours she spent almost alone in the dingy place, the many torturous hours she had alone to think for herself. She had come to fear those times now, preying for some lenient bastard to order a mug of tea or a slice of toast, and give her something to do to end the constant thoughts of her life's turnaround, and stop her catching sight of her reflection.

She thought she had finally done something right; she'd used what fame she had to the highest and called on the greatest lawyer she could. _'Stupid girl,'_ she scolded herself _'for thinking that would fix it all.'_

Through every night of cold, and every day of underpaid labour and torturous hours of thought, she had seen that light at the end of the ever-murky and grease-coated tunnel. He would be done for; they hated him. Everyone hated him. And she would keep her power; she would be known for winning this court case. He was supposed to be caught without solution.

But apparently not even this could go well for her. Hours of waiting abruptly ended when word was received that Kai Hiwatari would not be arriving after-all. It didn't reach her until two hours after it reached him, though: her lawyer. Her renowned and supposedly superb lawyer who'd been told privately and fled without a word to anyone. She had been left, with nobody willing to inform her, seated upright and hopeful, a small smile on her face and her hands rested still in her lap, atop her statement which would never be heard. The hope she held in that smile was long gone; the cause was lost before it ever had a chance.

She bit down on her peeling lip and smeared crimson paint over her yellowing teeth, snapping out of her trance as the kettle began to steam. She hated that wailing noise it made; one of the many things she would abhor for the remainder of her pitiful life for all the shit it reminded her of. Snatching the kettle from it's base she threw a teabag into the chipped china mug and sloppily sloshed the boiling water in after it. Slamming a spoon stained from the washing machine and small pot of milk on the crumb-coated brown tray, she finally reached up a hand to pick away at the mascara clump seemed to have fallen even lower in the last few minutes.

After flicking away the five eyelashes she lost with the clump, she hauled the tray to her shoulder and walked carefully to the table farthest away from her; the only one occupied. Barely glancing down at the red-headed man who was staring out the window almost suspiciously, she banged the tea down on the table and retreated to clean the rest of the tables.

Once a little further away, she glanced up from her rag a couple of times to look at the man who was now flicking through the stack of magazines and papers on the windowsill next to him. He was vaguely familiar; it had to be the hair. Or perhaps it was the complexion; either way, she had definitely seen him somewhere before. Without her noticing, her head had fallen to her right shoulder as her arm slowed right down to a stop. Fortunately, he wasn't paying attention to the strange waitress who was looking at him quizzically. He had found the paper and was frantically flicking through it, brows furrowed and his uncannily clear eyes narrowed with concentration. It was quite suspicious, but she didn't think much of it. She didn't think much of anything anymore.

She was forced to hurriedly resume wiping the table-top and divert her pointed stare as he suddenly lost patience and threw the whole thing against the wall. She glanced down at the crumbs she was knocking to the floor and raised an eyebrow to herself at the curious behaviour the familiar man was expressing. He was clearly stressed. Briefly glancing up again, she caught the bold headline of the front page from the slippery floor as the man reached for his tea and gulped most of it down at once.

**Broke Blitzkrieg to play at expensive venue; how'd they swing that?**

'_Well,'_ she thought vaguely as she slowly meandered back towards the tiny kitchen, _'it _was_ a couple of days old…'_

xXx

As the continuous buzzing from the inside of his jacket pocket began to get seriously annoying, Kai impatiently dug his hand inside and flipped the phone open. Seventy three missed calls. Rolling his eyes as he felt the vibration shoot through his hand again, he held down the button with the red phone and turned the whole thing off. This was seriously starting to get old; why his employees couldn't see that he wanted to remain undisturbed was beyond him. They had once been used to his disappearing, but this was a little bit too worrying for them, he supposed. Despite seeing nobody all the while he'd been at Tala's torn-down apartment, he'd now fled the scene completely. And with word having spread about Tala's disappearance, those who worked with him must quite urgently wish to speak to him. …He _could_ sort of understand it now, he supposed. But oh well, they'd know he'd turned off his phone. That was as good-a sign as any. He needn't fear them bothering to go after him anyway, they knew as well as any he could take care of himself.

At least the police hadn't suddenly rounded the street corner and captured him yet. That was the one thing he _really_ feared.

Squinting up at the first sign of sun-shine they'd had in days, he ran a hand through his dirtying hair and replaced the phone in his jacket pocket. He hoped he had the right place; he was certain Tala had said to meet at the tiny café with the custard-coloured walls. Well in any case, that was the way he was going.

He was moments away from reaching the door to the dingy café, with an occupant and despondent employee he never would have expected to run into again, when the red-head himself all but stormed out the glass door and began to make his way back towards him.

Kai stopped and raised an inquiring eyebrow as a scowling Tala shook his head. 'Not staying in there,' he said gruffly. 'Fucking awful.'

He shivered slightly with the memory of what Kai could only imagine, and took Kai's arm. Kai chuckled and ignored his growing hunger, sparing the filthy place never to be ventured into one last glance as he followed Tala back to their cheap one-roomed hiding place, a far cry from what anybody would ever have expected these two to be dwelling in.

* * *

(A/N): One chapter to go! And guess what, that one's not being re-written! Because I wrote it after I re-wrote chapter 1, I figured it was okay the way it was. So you can expect it this time next week, if not sooner! I hope you're looking forward to it…I sure am! :P

Happy _very_ belated New Year, and please review! :D


	7. Our Lips Will Never Bleed Again

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death, and Kai's minor antagonism (it's difficult to explain, but you'll see what I mean later on)

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

_In no way do I promote any of the ideas presented in these chapters. I write with the sole purpose of entertaining and have no intention of spreading immoral ideas. This story is simply a reflection on what I believe to be the attitude of today's society in general. I will not accept any abuse related to the themes written in the following fanfiction._

(A/N): Ahh it's the last chapter! Woo! :D If it seems like the writing quality has been improving throughout this story, this one might seem like a slight step backwards. That's just because it's the only chapter I didn't edit (I dread to think how long it could have ended up...). I should probably stop dissing my own writing in every A/N I ever write, because you're all probably sitting there rolling your eyes, but I just feel the need to say it so just humour me :P

Despite the fact I originally wrote it on a whim, this fic turned out to be a favourite of mine :). It felt a lot like it did when I wrote _Purgatory_, except this one makes more sense…and had better lemons :P.

Thanks to those who reviewed, and those who faved, and even those who just read it and thought 'hm, I like this'. You liking it is what means everything to me :D And when you review, please let me know what you thought of it: absolutely everything! I would love to know!

If I do say so myself, I adore this ending. Mega twists are ahead; I love it! I hope you do aswell! :D Please finish and review this before going on to the author's note!

_Italics are memories, thoughts or any sort of dream_. **Bold are headlines or any form of magazine print. **

For a final time, enjoy!

* * *

_Love on the Catwalk_

_By StZen_

* * *

_Chapter 7_

_Our Lips Will Never Bleed Again_

* * *

**Kuznetsov Arrested for Attempted Murder**

Max sighed and tossed the morning paper into the waste paper basket beside him. It was just a matter of time, he supposed. The man he'd been asked to assist in court not long ago for his foolish sexual antics with his addict boyfriend, he was now in even worse trouble.

Shaking his head, Max reached for his mug of coffee. What reasons Bryan Kuznetsov had for attempting murder, he hadn't even bothered to find out. He couldn't read the useless dribble presented to him in the news these days. Wasn't there something tragic going on in a third-world country for them to read about? It seemed the celebrities really were dominating the society of today, and Max decided, with a sigh, his next case would probably have something to do with one of them.

He wasn't far off. For no sooner had he just about given up on civilization, a knock sounded on his door, admitting a man he hadn't seen in a while. And had Max bothered to read the paper this morning, his shock would have been even greater at the sight of this man entering his office.

'Max,' Rei addressed, smiling at the dumb-struck lawyer sitting at the desk before him, 'it's been a long time'.

'It has indeed'. Max rose steadily from the chair and beckoned Rei to sit down. While his old friend asked the kind lady at the door if she would bring another coffee, Rei gently eased himself into the comfortable leather seat, placing his crutches carefully on the marble floor beside him.

When the lawyer returned to his desk he removed his reading glasses and gazed at the man seated opposite him with great interest. 'How have you been?' he added hesitantly 'I mean, I see you've injured yourself somewhat…is this why you're here to see me?'

Rei gave the man a soft smile 'a small accident concerning me walking out into a road without looking' he stated in a casual manner. 'But I'm fine. In fact, I've gained a bout of confidence lately. While in the hospital I had much time to think, and I've made an important decision. My injuries are not the reason I've come to see you, Max. I would very much like your assistance in another matter…'

Max nodded, bidding Rei to continue. There was a falter in his speech, as though he had to take a brief moment to allow to sink in what he was about to do. Max waited patiently, as Rei met his eyes again, and smiled with full confidence and determination.

'I need a divorce lawyer'.

xXx

It was several hours later that Rei finally hobbled his way out of Max's office. Having spent much time making arrangements and sorting out crucial paperwork, Rei had taken several copies of everything in his brief-case for him and Mariah to sign. And she _would_ sign them. Rei had made up his mind; no more living the life of hell he'd been cursed with. No more. He had loved Mariah once, but that ship had set sail a long time ago. Teenage romances were never meant to last, he concluded. It didn't matter how rich they were as a couple, both could survive on their own. It was better off for both of them, and for Lin, that they separated. Surely, she would see it his way.

By the time he reached his car in the enormous parking lot, the sun was already beginning to set. A definite glow of orange was in the air, accompanied by a touch of pink dashing the horizon. It was a long drive home and probably by the time he reached the mansion it would be long past midnight. But it was worth it. He could have found a perfectly good lawyer near by, and he knew it. But Max was worth taking the extra trip to pay a visit to. Besides being an old friend, he was widely known for being the best lawyer around. A-list celebrities flocked to him from all different countries with whatever problems they had; mainly divorces these days. His reason too. Max would grant him that divorce; Rei could bank on it.

Gently seating himself into the front seat of his car, Rei threw the crutches onto the backseat and opened his brief case one more time to check he had all the paperwork he needed. Flicking through the three copies he'd requested of everything, he became slightly uneasy at the thought of presenting this to his wife. He had driven all the way there straight from the hospital; the last she had seen him, they had still not been on speaking terms since their argument about Bryan.

But as soon as Bryan entered his mind, Mariah was promptly shoved out. Bryan…he would have played his gig by now, the gig Rei had lent him the money for, the gig he'd desperately wanted his band to perform at. As soon as he got home- no, too late for that- the very next day, he'd call or meet Bryan to ask how it was. He wanted so badly to see him. That vivacious smile on his sexy face was something Rei felt he badly needed at that point in time. That smile, and those eyes…that _body_.

Before his mind began to wander into an x-rated fantasy, Rei quickly shook his head and flicked through the paperwork one more time. Deciding that everything he needed was there, he placed the briefcase gently on the seat beside him, popped a pain-killer, and started on the long journey home in the dusk.

xXx

No sooner had night fallen, from his hiding place he had seen her pull her curtains closed. It wasn't long after that he finally saw the lights flick off, leaving the entire house in darkness. He saw his chance.

Ensuring his secret weapon was safely tucked away in his waist-band, and carefully hidden beneath his black jacket, Brooklyn inched his way further towards the red double front doors. He had to be quiet. It hadn't been long since the lights were turned out; if he was heard the results could be inexplicable. He had a fair amount of confidence gained from experience, determination gained from his boyfriend's position, and composure probably gained from insanity. But still, he knew he had to be careful.

Barely even breathing for fear it would attract attention, Brooklyn silently crept his way out of the brambles and up the lawn beside the garden path, towards the doors. He had chosen the grass because not only was it quieter to walk across, looking out from the window in the darkness it was more difficult to see him than it would be if he was strolling up the beige concrete drive. If the witch who sent his Bryan to prison were to see him, this operation would prove futile. And vengeance was something Brooklyn felt was the only justification.

His fortitude carried him swiftly up the concrete steps and before he knew it, the deep red of the front doors faced him. Suddenly, he backtracked a little. Everything suddenly felt a little ominous. Red…red meant danger. Like the ladybug, who's colour warned off other insects who would try to eat her. Brooklyn wondered why anybody had bothered painting the door red in the first place; the house was entirely a creamy white, apart from these giant menacing red doors. But the sudden image of his boyfriend hung before his eyes, the look on Bryan's face when they'd dragged him away. Right before what was essentially their big break. All that hard work, so his boyfriend could be manhandled by stupid cops who had no idea of Bryan's innocence. And the look on her face. That _smirk_, the way she fixed her eyes on them. Justice, she thought. But Brooklyn thought he knew the _true_ meaning of justice. And since Mrs. Kon didn't seem to, he took it upon himself to personally show her the consequence.

Putting his foolish considerations to one side, Brooklyn reached into his back pocket and pulled himself together. He had done this a thousand times; he knew what to do. No need to be scared of a red door. Even the red door could be prised open.

And a few seconds later, with a barely audible click, the lock was picked. He pushed the door open very slightly, squeezing himself through the gap and counting his blessings he wasn't muscle-built like Bryan or just plain enormous like their drummer, Spencer. Sliding across the wall, he clicked the door shut behind him and blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted to the dim natural light of the moon. Had all the curtains been shut, he wouldn't have been able to see a thing. Reaching into another pocket for a device that would disable the alarm, he suddenly realised with a sigh of relief that the alarm hadn't been triggered, even when he left his spot plastered against the wall and took a step into the large hall-way. It wasn't that disabling the thing would have been particularly _difficult_ for him, it would have just wasted valuable time. He concluded they must be expecting somebody to return home late, and swiftly crept his way up the marble flight of stairs. He decided to make haste; should somebody else arrive in the house, things could get very tricky.

The job was easy; the house was silent. There was no sign of movement, nor was there any indication that anybody in the house was truly awake. Brooklyn couldn't help but smirk at the combination of luck and his expertise; this shouldn't take him longer than a few minutes and he would be gone. Perhaps this was the reason he was known as being psychotic. Perhaps this is why his parents had screamed their deliberation that he was crazy. Well, he supposed he was, but that wouldn't stop him. They could believe that he was mental, psycho, a lunatic; their fear would eat at them from the inside out. And he would have his vengeance on the woman who put his lover away. If caught, he wouldn't deny it. He'd gladly join Bryan and hear the name-calling for the remainder of his short life. If not, well it was somebody else's problem. His fate was in their hands, the choice was theirs.

The master bedroom was easy to differentiate from the remaining rooms on the upstairs landing. Another pair of double doors, this time cream, welcomed him as he carefully turned the handle, and prised them open without so much as a creak…to find that it was empty.

Cursing, Brooklyn quietly closed the door again, casting his eyes around for any sign of movement. Nothing was heard, and he concluded he'd just keep trying.

The next door was the one he'd been after. Pushing the door gently again, the first thing he noticed was the definite shape of an adult beneath the sheets of the large bed. Stepping further in, he found himself standing on the fluffy carpet of an elaborately decorated spare bedroom. Barely pausing to wonder why she was sleeping in the wrong room, Brooklyn crept his way across the spotless white carpet towards her. He grinned to himself; sound asleep. Her pink hair spread unevenly against the giant pillow and her hand clutched the duvet keeping it above her shoulders. Brooklyn hadn't noticed the coldness of the night until that moment.

A sudden noise caught Brooklyn's attention, and for the first time, he panicked a little inside. The definite sound of an expensive car engine making its way up the front drive he had avoided. Whoever they were waiting for, that person was home.

Wasting no time, Brooklyn pushed his jacket back and lifted the revolver from below his belt. While preparing his weapon, he heard a soft beeping noise as the car outside was locked. He could almost hear the sounds of footsteps on the patio. It was a marvel what could be heard in complete silence.

The woman in the bed before him shifted slightly and made a soft noise. Brooklyn narrowed his eyes and held his breath. Bryan would be locked up in vain no longer. This was his revenge, for the both of them. Whatever happened to his lover, he could know that the deed had been done, and justice had been served.

Pointing the gun square at her forehead, he blocked out the sound of the key turning in the front door so as to remain calm and get this done quickly. Taking one last deep breath, he glared through his narrowed turquoise eyes as the golden ones in front of him opened a fraction.

'Rei…?' she murmured softly.

'Goodbye' he whispered in response.

_Bang._

xXx

The deafening noise had awoken the little girl with a start. She may have only been six years old, but she knew the sound a gun makes when used for one sole purpose; to kill. There was no alternative, and she had no doubt about the sounds which had sharply brought her back into the real world from her dreams. There was somebody in the house, with a gun.

Suddenly, a shadow fell across the room, and what Lin saw made her cry out in terror. She saw it for a split second only, and then it had disappeared again. Someone was scaling the building. He'd jumped from somewhere, briefly paused outside her window, and proceeded to jump to the ground in a hurry. What terrified Lin even more than suddenly seeing something outside her window in the dark, was the fact that she had recognised him. A man who lay on the unmade bed, reading a book until she'd been seen. The man with both a cat and a bird, who lived at the top of the haunting staircase. She had recognised him, though she'd only seen him once before.

He was one of the men daddy was doing business with. And mummy didn't like it, and mummy had told Lin that the bad man had tried to hurt her daddy. But daddy hadn't listened to mummy when they fought, and now mummy was lying dead in her bed and the evil men had got her too. Mummy had somehow upset him; was this his way of punishing her? But Lin had told the secret she had sworn she'd keep from mummy. What would daddy do to her next?

Finding the courage most children would severely lack, Lin left her warm bed and sprinted across her bedroom to the closet on the other side. Shutting the door behind her, Lin curled into a little ball and held her stuffed tiger toy to her chest. She knew that Drigger couldn't protect her, but mummy had been killed in her bed, not her closet. Most children feared their closest because they thought monsters lived inside them at night. But Lin knew better than that. Her closet contained no monsters, only safety.

Lin's monsters lived everywhere else.

xXx

**Ivanov Missing!**

**Kidnapping, and even death have been assumed as the fate for the well-known fashion icon, Tala Ivanov, who disappeared two weeks ago and hasn't been sighted since. Reporters state-**

Tala sighed audibly and stopped reading. This was the twelfth time he'd caught his name in the headlines since they'd made their getaway. It seemed the world wasn't quite ready to let him slip away from them yet, and for once Tala wished he wasn't the centre of attention. Why they couldn't just forget him like they did every other celebrity was beyond him.

Flicking the paper shut, Tala gazed for a few minutes at his face on the front cover. The quality was obviously dismal, but it was clearly a gorgeous picture. Made-up visage, and clothes of high fashion, enough to fool the rest of the world into believing that he wasn't simply skin and bone. Tala rolled his eyes. Idiots; they'd believe anything they want to hear.

_'But that doesn't make it a reality_,' Tala thought as his gaze lifted from the flawless photograph on the front page to his reflection in the cheap motel bathroom mirror. At the sight of himself he almost winced, but found it not worth the effort to even move his facial muscles slightly. Instead, he just stared gormlessly into his own eyes.

The fluorescent lighting tinged the whole room a sickly yellow colour, his skin perfectly matching it to give him the appearance of being half dead. The light shining directly above him caught his cheekbones, casting large shadows beneath them aswell as over his eyes. It was so unflattering, he swore he could see pimples that weren't even there.

Glancing back to the photograph, and then up again at his wan, skeletal form, he considered applying makeup simply to make himself feel better. A whole pile of cheap blusher and mascara had been left behind in the sink when they arrived; belonging to some hooker they assumed. It was nothing compared to the designer brands he was used to, but Tala was feeling quite desperate looking at the hideous display before him and slowly realising that it was his own reflection.

Gingerly extracting a small bright pink bottle of mascara from the heap and holding it carefully between his thumb and index finger, Tala raised an eyebrow as he tried to make out the brand name amongst all the dirt. Mission proving unsuccessful, he cautiously began to unscrew the lid, as though worried something disgusting was about to jump out from it. His actions weren't completely unnecessary. As the lid unscrewed itself, he pulled out the brush only to find it a massive clump of black goo.

Sighing in exasperation, he tossed it back into the sink. Without standing around to watch the substance trickle its way down the chipped yellow basin, Tala gave a small exclamation of 'fuck it anyway!' and wrenched the broken door open to join Kai in the bedroom.

Seated on the cigarette-stained carpet (as the beds had a tendency to collapse when the weight wasn't balanced), Kai was busying himself, as Tala had been, with reading the paper. The miniscule television on top of the dresser was on and the news reporter acted as background noise. Tala sat down beside him and decided to watch. Not only was there nothing else to do, it happened to be the only channel on the television that wasn't static and jumpy.

'You know, we should really think about moving on to a different country or something. Because if I see my face on one more…'

Tala's voice trailed off as his eyes were suddenly glued to the television set. Kai too, had lowered his paper and was suddenly taking an interest.

'…_and now heartbroken fans, and panicked relatives join together today in mourning for the loss of actress, Mariah Kon. Her body was discovered this morning, and it is clear that a definite murder took place. The prime suspect for this murder is an obvious assumption. Her husband, Rei Kon, who was found with a brief case of divorce papers on his person, is set to go on trial this Wednesday'. _

Kai and Tala's jaws dropped. Both leaned in slightly, as though in the act of doing so they'd gain a clearer understanding. For a while, neither could say a word.

'Kai,' Tala finally found his voice. 'Are you sure it was _Rei_ Kon you hit?'

'Tala, I think I can tell the difference between them' Kai had intended his response to be sarcastic, but the shock reduced it to a mono-tone.

There was a long silence for a while, broken only by the continuous faint humming from the bathroom light Tala had forgotten to switch off. A fly settled itself on the television screen, behind which the reporter was still talking about Rei Kon's trial, but the television was now temporarily muted from bad signal.

In a meek, yet hopeful voice, Tala broke the silence. 'Does this mean…we can go home?'

He turned his pleading eyes of topaz towards the man beside him, who still looked to be in shock. Tala could almost see the cogs working his mind. Finally, the man looked down at his companion and slowly, he nodded 'I suppose we can…'

Tala smiled gratefully. 'Thank god'. He caught Kai's eye and they both chuckled a little. Kai wrapped a strong arm around the skinny red-head and Tala rested his head on Kai's strong shoulder. For quite a few minutes they just sat there, relieved at the possibility of returning to the lifestyles they were comfortable with, no fear of suspicion. No stray blood on their hands. Only their own.

They glanced around them at the state of their conditions at that moment. Not for long. Their real homes were awaiting them. They began to fantasise about the wealth and cleanliness that awaited their return. Well, in Kai's home at least. So far from the dingy motel room where they still sat, in eachother's arms, the television fuzzing with the signal problems, and the unhappy gurgling of the sink next door.

xXx

'The court finds the defendant, Rei Kon...guilty'.

The judge's mallet slammed, and the verdict was proclaimed. Rei felt his knees weaken, but tried hard not to buckle beneath the weight of his body. He swallowed hard and his lip trembled, bowing his head so as not to catch anybody's eye. He had lost.

'By unanimous vote, Rei Kon is hereby found guilty of murdering his wife, Mariah Kon. The decree is a life sentence in jail. His estate shall be sold for the price it was bought, and the new guardian of his daughter, Lin Kon, shall be her uncle and only remaining relative, Lee Wong. This case is officially adjourned,' and with another slam of the mallet, the judge rose and took his leave, along with most of the remaining witnesses in the court room.

Rei didn't move. All he could do was open and close his mouth like a goldfish, and feel the silent tears on his cheeks. They all walked past him as though he didn't exist, or worse, they glared at him with hate as though he were a murderer.

'Rei,' he felt a hand on his shoulder as his faithful lawyer made a futile attempt to comfort him. In the eye of the public, Max had just defended a murderer, but his old friend didn't seem to care in the least. Finding no words to say, he just stood beside the accused, that comforting hand still on his shoulder, waiting for him to regain his strength.

He wasn't given much of a chance.

'Time to go, sir' a police man stood abruptly beside them, waiting to escort Rei straight to his new home from the court.

Max frowned; _'that was awfully quick'_.

Rei began to shake a little. 'O-oh…alright…' holding on to the podium for support, he reached a quivering hand down gently to pick his crutches up from the floor.

'Here,' Max quickly moved to pick them up for him, helping him down the steps. He would have walked with him the whole way, but the man had taken him rather quickly and, shoving several other people out of his way, all but carried him out the door in a flourish. Max was left to gape into thin air.

xXx

'But, sir! Mr. Tate, sir, do you have anything to say?'

'Mr. Tate, what was your reason for defending a murderer?'

'Sir, how does it feel to be an accomplice?'

Max pushed them all out of the way and proceeded towards the main entrance to the offices. Refusing to even look at them, he strode with determination. They weren't allowed inside, so long as he could get there quickly, and without snapping, he'd be fine.

As soon as he reached his floor, he began to take his long coat off as he stepped out of the elevator.

'Mr. Tate?'

'_Christ, my employees are doing it too'_ he thought angrily, turning to face the people it would be unwise to ignore. 'Yes, what?' he snapped as politely as he could in the mood he had been in lately.

'Sir, by defending Rei Kon in that trial you've put yourself in grave financial danger, I'm afraid'.

'…how grave?' Max asked after a pause, an eyebrow raised in curiosity and a small sense of worry evident in his voice.

'Since the incident, sir, over half of your clients have been lost, and about a third of your income' the employee stated in a business-like fashion that Max couldn't stand.

'Over half my clients?' he repeated in shock 'B-but the trial was a mere hour or so ago!'

He gaped at his worker with apprehension, but the man merely looked indifferent. 'People watch the news, sir'. And with that, he turned on his heel and returned to his office, leaving the once-successful lawyer dumbfounded and irate.

xXx

Rei bit hard on his bottom lip to stop the trembling, as he was escorted past the many cells, the guards on either side practically lifting him up by his arms in a futile attempt to make him pick up speed. His crutches had been confiscated, as had his bandages. Apparently they didn't care if his leg and ribs were still broken; he was a murderer now. He should have thought about his injuries before he shot his wife.

He was cold. But that was the least of his problems. His body ached, and he felt like his legs were about to just give up on him. His mind was still fuzzed over, rendering him quite numb in every way except for the pain. Mystery hung in the air about who really had killed Mariah, the scattered particles of his mind tried to fathom an explanation, and more importantly, a solution. He was about to spend at least the next twenty years in a cell. His daughter was being sent away from him. He wouldn't get to watch little Lin grow up; he wouldn't even know her by the time his sentence was over. Perhaps he'd never see her again. He wondered if the real murderer was after him aswell. He never did find out who had run him over with their car…

A thousand different thoughts were trying to enter his mind at once, most of them failing due of the numbness of his brain. But suddenly it all seemed too real when they halted abruptly, opened up the large cell and practically threw Rei inside.

He groaned as the dull ache settled in from where he'd landed on his bad leg. Without lifting his head, he heard the barred door being shut firmly behind him, and the sound of footsteps as the guards proceeded to patrol. Still ensuring he kept his eyes down, Rei slowly made his way over to the bench at the far end. The pain in his ribs throbbed as he lowered himself, and he winced audibly, gritting his teeth together. He could faintly hear the sound of boots scuffing the concrete floor nearby, but had no desire to introduce himself to his cellmate just yet. He had no desire to do anything but lie down in his own warm bed at home, curl up comfortably with…

'Rei Kon?' his cell-mate smirked wickedly, 'Why…I thought I killed you...?'

Rei shot his head up at the familiar voice, and almost burst into tears at the sight of him. 'Bryan!'

Rei couldn't have been more thankful if it were his guardian angel standing in front of him. Leant up against the metal post of the bunk, smirking down at him like there was no tomorrow, was the very man Rei had been convinced he'd never see again.

Bryan shook his head in disbelief. 'What on earth are you doing in here?'

'I…' Rei glanced around timidly before hesitantly continuing 'I've been suspected of murder'.

Bryan scoffed 'funny that, me too'.

'I…I had no _idea_' Rei looked at him incredulously. The man he was in love with had been charged with attempting his murder. The irony was almost painful. But then something suddenly struck him. 'If they think that you attempted to kill me, why on earth would they stick me in a cell with you?'

At that very moment, a rather familiar security guard happened to be passing by the cell. Catching the eye of his new friend from the local bar, Ian issued a subtle wink behind Rei's back and continued to walk on by.

Bryan smirked at what Rei thought was nothing, and replied 'I guess the world just turns in a strange way, sometimes…'

'At least we're together' Rei had meant to say that in his head, but the combination of numbness and relief had managed to mess something up in his system…never mind the fact that he was once again face to face with the man who could make him melt into nothing but a mere pool of lust.

But said man just chuckled at his infatuated cell-mate, ascending the ladder in two steps and loudly thumping himself down onto the top bunk.

'Yeah,' he finally answered, that vivacious and sexy smirk once again playing on his features, 'but there's just one thing, though…how are we _ever_ going to fill the days…?'

Rei grinned to himself, welcoming the facial muscle stretch which hadn't been inflicted in a long time. He was pretty certain that they both knew _exactly_ how.

xXx

Meanwhile, the real murderer had decided his safest bet would be to abandon his home and flee from the scene of the crime altogether. After one final visit to his locked-up lover he naïvely presumed would remain faithful until their final separation, Brooklyn had departed immediately. For how long, he didn't know. Perhaps he'd find a life he loved and never go back. At that point, his future was barely existent, so nothing seemed to matter.

Seated comfortably in a rather shabby-looking café on the other side of town, Brooklyn wandered if his getaway had been as successful has he'd hoped, or if somebody was about to come after him. Half expecting the door to be broken down at any given moment, he forced himself to be constantly vigilant while his casual exterior remained peacefully gazing through the dirty glass of the window.

It was a lovely day; the sun had risen not too long ago, and a definite glow of warm yellow encircled the air, flooding the dingy room with morning light. But if possible, it only made the place grimier in comparison. Had Brooklyn ever been the picky type, he wouldn't have looked twice at the building while contemplating his hunger.

A waitress with turquoise hair, lips a shade of red that was too deep and ornate for her, and sullen black smudges of eye makeup on her cheeks, strolled over to Brooklyn's little table and served him his breakfast. He smiled at her politely, and it looked as though she tried to return the favour, but somehow her face couldn't bring itself to take that form.

'_Poor thing'_ he thought briefly. He had no knowledge of who she was, nor how she had ended up there. And after that couple of sympathetic seconds, she was gone from his mind, the way she'd abruptly vanished from everybody else's.

Taking a bite of toast, Brooklyn's eye suddenly caught the small stack of magazines and newspapers on the window sill beside him. Setting his breakfast aside, he took the first few on top of the pile and began to flick through them, looking for something about the death of Mariah Kon, his very own victim.

**Broke Blitzkrieg to play at expensive venue; how'd they swing that?**

Brooklyn growled, _'the nerve of them!'_. That paper had been on top of the small pile, meaning he had little to hope for. Sure enough, as he flicked through the ones he'd retrieved from the window sill, the dates only became older.

He sighed and was about to return them when his old band name once again caught his eye. This time in a magazine that had been left open on a particular page. Placing the remainder of them back where he'd found them, Brooklyn cast a curious eye over the page of the magazine from only a couple of weeks ago.

It appeared to be some kind of poll. Questions had been issued about certain aspects of fame, and the general public had answered. Brooklyn raised an eyebrow as he read through it with a bizarre interest, promptly ignoring the pointed stare he was receiving from the waitress.

How different things suddenly were from then, he deliberated. A thousand miles travelled in the wrong direction, simply because they travelled too fast, and without thought…

**Voted biggest role-model: Tala Ivanov**

**Best new sound: Blitzkreig**

**Most promising young artist: Ming-Ming**

**Luckiest kid alive: Lin Kon**

**Worlds most influential couple: Tyson and Hilary Kinomiya…**

xXx

A champagne glass; a news report; and beautiful eyes that drooped slightly with genuine sadness. Eventually finding the presented information too depressing to handle on such a lovely evening, Hilary let out a loud sigh and extended a delicate finger to turn off the television.

'Tyson,' she said over her shoulder as her husband entered the room behind her, 'Tyson, what's the name of that nice man you introduced me to at the Championships Gala last year? You know, the one you meet for lunch sometimes.'

'Oh,' Tyson thought for a few seconds as he seated himself down comfortably beside Hilary on the cream sofa, 'you mean Rei?'

'Yes, that's who I mean. I've just seen it on the news; his wife has been murdered'.

Her husband looked thoughtful again. 'That's terrible, Hil. You mean the bossy woman with the pink hair?'

Hilary chose to ignore his second comment and simply responded to the first, lifting her champagne glass to her lips. 'It is, Tyson. It really is…Such a _lovely_ woman she was too.'

There remained a comfortable silence for a while. A silence in which Hilary considered the sorrow circling through the 'lovely' woman's household and family, and in which Tyson simply considered the life-altering decision on whether to buy a blue car next or a red one. But nonetheless, the silence was a comfortable one, where either they never knew eachother's thoughts, or simply didn't mind.

Much of Hilary and Tyson's life was spent wanting and believing completely different things. But they contrasted in a way which suited them, and gave them so much more to love about one another. And at that moment, they both caught eachother's eyes, and smiled. They simply fit; it was good enough for them.

It didn't matter that they had it all. Perhaps with nothing they really would crumble, the way the cynical believed with no reluctance to state. But Hilary had Tyson, and Tyson had Hilary; they counted that as their real blessing.

* * *

_The End_

xXx

_I am perfection my darling, sweeter than any valentine rose.  
She said, "Early tomorrow I will call for you"  
I said "No, my dear I won't wake for you"  
She said "I crave for you"  
I said "I crave for you too when our hearts sink to the floor and I'm the only one who steals your eyes"._

_Fighting for love on the catwalk and I'm the latest outfit.  
She said, "Please kill me with your words"  
I said "Please show me some remorse"  
Draw the blood spilling from my hands, there's no time for love.  
And give my life a horror rating, there's no time for love.  
For love.  
He bares the kiss that will tear romance in two but I captured your beauty.  
I won't follow the fashion sex created.  
Our lips will never bleed again.  
I did this for you, my love_

xXx


	8. Author's Note

_Rating_: M

_Genre_: Drama

_Summary: _Embark on a small journey into the fragile lives of those believed to have it all. Behind the cameras, monsters on the inside. But you might know them better as celebrities. AU, KaiTal, ReiBry, BrookBry, TyHil, anti-ReiMar.

_Warnings:_ violence, drug use, sex, rape, mature themes, character death.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Beyblade, nor do I own any of the recognisable characters featured in this story.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

This was a story where every character posed as a protagonist, and every character as an antagonist. And all were catalysts in somebody else's plotline.

In the editing of this story, minor characters became major, and major minor, but that only served to improve the storyline and achieve better results.

Each character had their own past and quite a full character development. I'm dying to know what you think of the characters, at the end of all of this.

When I first wrote this story, I had an idea of a main character, almost a hero, and a struggle to later conclude in a happy ending. I suppose I did achieve that one. But I then decided to give readers a hatred for every character, and so I took my original victims and gave them a selfish edge. That was before I realised it would never work; how could anybody hate the hero with a struggle? It couldn't be done. So by the end of it, they all became victims, one way or another. The ones who came out strong were our hero with the struggle and the original antagonist, who saved our opinions of him after chapter 3. Kai and Tala turned out alright in the end. The original victim, Rei, given an edge hinted a few times, had a small ray of hope but still remains victimised. Ming-Ming, designed to be a victim. Max, his good intentions lost him a lot, but perhaps this justifies the edge I gave him too. Brooklyn, he had reason to become the oppressor. Mariah, hated victim, lost to the oppressor for victimising someone innocent. Lin, tragically victimised by matters she could not control. And Bryan, innocent, and locked away.

The two more prominent plotlines ran parallel to eachother, never interlocking until the fifth chapter, where everything suddenly switched. The protagonist of one, and antagonist of the other, Tala and Mariah are exact opposites. When he is alone, she has a family; when he is distraught, she is glamorous; when he gains fame, she loses it; and when she is taken, he is saved. And both of their fates lie in the hands of their other, who collided on the road with other people on their minds, and flipped it all around.

Tyson and Hilary mirror the lifestyle Rei and Mariah _should_ have had, and the love that Kai and Tala share. They represent one couple's loss and another's love. Which is basically the two elements of this story. That, and their life being a template for the celebrities of the world. That's the way they should have all been living. And according to some ill-informed, as proven in the final chapter, nothing was ever wrong with them all in the first place.

Now if you've read and enjoyed, take a look at this enquiry I've made, and then go vote on my poll.

* * *

**POLL:** I've drawn up a rough plan for a sequel to _Love on the Catwalk_, which will be set ten years later. It will consist of some of the original characters, and a few new ones, and the story will be far from the same (but not so different it makes no sense), probably focus more on crime than fame and drama. Though I think the story's interesting, I'm really unsure about it. What say you? **_–Go vote!_**


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